


The Adventures of a Single Father

by let_love_run_red



Category: Girls (TV), Girls HBO
Genre: Baby, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Other, Reader-Insert, Series, Single Father, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2020-08-20 05:40:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20222710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/let_love_run_red/pseuds/let_love_run_red
Summary: “How are you doing Adam?”“I’ve been trying really hard to be enough for him.”





	1. Chapter 1

Adam woke in the middle of the night to hear a baby crying. He swore rapidly under his breath as he pulled himself out of bed, rushing to the crib in the corner of his room. He reached in to pick up the tiny baby. He cradled the baby the way he'd learned in the parenting classes with her before she left him one night with the baby. The tiny being slowly stopped crying, looking up into his father's eyes. His eyes reminded him so much of her.

Adam sighed and lifted the baby to rest against his body, his tiny head resting on Adam's strong shoulder. The baby took rapid deep breaths the way babies do after they've cried and reached to tightly grip the ends of Adam's shaggy black hair. Adam had just changed him earlier in the night, so he must be hungry. Adam supported his son's body with one hand as he walked to the kitchen, fumbling around half awake for the formula. He finally found it, pulling a bottle out of the same cupboard and filling it with warm water. He dumped some formula in before screwing the cap of the bottle on and shaking it vigorously. His son babbled quietly against his shoulder as he bounced him, trying to shake the sleep from his own eyes.

When there were no more clumps of formula in the bottle Adam unscrewed the cap, screwing the nipple on instead and dripping some onto his wrist to check the temperature to make sure it wasn't too hot. Adam set the bottle on the counter, shifting to hold his son so he could feed him. The baby greedily took the bottle, sucking eagerly and downing the milk. Adam leaned against the counter, crossing one foot over the other as he watched his son drink. He felt nothing but love from the baby in his arms, and nothing but hatred for the baby's mother.

"There you go," Adam softly encouraged when the baby finished the bottle. Adam set the bottle in the sink to take care of in the morning, walking back to his room and reaching onto the shelf in his bookcase where he kept all his son's clothing and blankets and other necessities. He lifted the burp cloth, resting it over his shoulder under his son's head and gently patted the baby's back.

When he was finally done, Adam gently laid his son back down in the crib, dropping the cloth from his shoulder into the pile of laundry he had to do tomorrow. Adam dropped back into his bed exhausted, and quickly fell back asleep. Single fatherhood was harder than he thought.

* * *

In the morning Adam woke to his son crying once again. He shot out of bed and quickly tried to stand up, only for his legs to get tangled in the sheets. Adam hit the ground with a harsh thud and swore as he tried to untangle himself. The family below him hit their ceiling with a broom handle and yelled "shut that damn baby up!" Adam felt a surge of anger and stood up, stomping on the floor and muttering for them to fuck off under his breath. Adam walked over to the crib, lifting his son into his arms and cradling the baby to his bare chest.

"Sh sh sh, you're ok." He said, walking to the changing table next to the crib, gently laying his son down to change his diaper. He cooed to the baby as he ran over the schedule in his head. He had an appointment with the pediatrician at 10, then a job interview at noon. He'd already checked, and they said he could bring his son, but only for the interview and only because he couldn't find a sitter in time.

He finished changing his son, lifting him up to nuzzle his nose against the baby's. His son giggled and reached for Adam's face, patting his tiny hands against Adam's cheeks. Adam lowered his son to rest against his chest as the alarm on his phone went off. He had an hour to be at the pediatrician's office. He quickly dressed his son in a shirt that said "Daddy's helper" And a pair of overalls. He buckled his son into the baby carrier and walked to the bathroom, setting the carrier on the toilet facing the shower. Adam showered quickly, peeking out every few seconds to make sure his son was still ok. A few minutes in he'd fallen asleep but Adam still worried.

After Adam quickly got dressed, he lifted his son from the carrier, walking down the stairs with him in his arms, picking up the diaper bag by the door on his way out. He nodded to his neighbors as he walked, going down the stairs with bouncing steps, talking quietly to his son. When he finally got down to the lobby, he unlocked his bike from the indoor rack the apartment had installed after an influx of bikers in the building. Adam's was the only bike with a rear mounted baby seat. He balanced the bike against his body as he buckled his son into the padded seat, unbuckling the tiny helmet from around the body of the bike and gently buckling it onto his son's head. His son giggled as Adam buckled his own helmet onto his head. Adam then tucked the gray baby carrier and diaper bag into the cargo basket attached to the body of the bike just in front of the seat.

Adam walked the bike out of the apartment before climbing on, steadying the bike with one leg while watching for an opening in traffic. There was finally a large space and Adam pushed off and started peddling to the pediatrician's office.

When he arrived, he steadied the bike with one leg, turning to check on his son the way he'd done at every stop light and cross walk. His son was still as giggly and smiling as he was the first time Adam ever took him on his bike.

Adam climbed off his bike, pulling the baby carrier out of the basket and attached it to himself while babbling to his son. He lifted him out of the seat, unbuckling the baby helmet and clipping it to the body of the bike. He settled his son into the chest carrier, talking to him the entire time. He lifted the diaper bag out of the basket, resting the straps on one broad shoulder. Adam finally locked his bike to the rack and walked into the building and up to the front desk.

"Hi yeah I've got an appointment at 10?" Adam said, his son gripping his finger out the side of the chest carrier. The receptionist glanced up at him over her glasses and tapped away on her keyboard.

"Which doctor are you seeing?" She asked. Adam wracked his brain, trying to remember the name. He reached for his phone to check the name when he realized he left it at home. He mentally cursed himself as he continued wracking his brain.

"Um, I think it was Dr. Goodall? Goodman? Maybe?" Adam said. His son started squirming and Adam looked down to see him making the same face Adam had come to recognize as meaning he'd need a diaper change in a few minutes. As Adam looked down his hair fell around his ears and his son grabbed a fistful.

_"Fuck." _Adam cursed under his breath as his son pulled as hard as he could. The receptionist shot her head up to glare at him as Adam looked back to her, slowly trying to remove his hair from his son's hands.

"Dr. Garcia?" The receptionist said with a raised eyebrow. Adam snapped his fingers and pointed at her as he winced when his son tugged on his hair sharply.

"That's the one." Adam said, finally freeing his hair from his son's grip. The receptionist huffed and tapped again on her keyboard.

"What's the last name?"

"Sackler." Adam said. His son continued squirming and started screeching loudly. Adam dug in the diaper bag for one of his pacifiers, finally spotting one and offering it to his son. He immediately spit it out, the pacifier landing on the ground as his son continued to screech. The moms in the waiting room glared at him as he anxiously shifted his weight and bent down to pick up the pacifier off the ground. Adam dropped it into a separate pocket of the diaper bag and reminded himself to boil it when he got home.

"This is his six-month appointment?" The receptionist asked. Adam nodded as he stood. His son had managed to catch another fistful of Adams hair and attempted to chew on it. Adam gently pulled his hair away, offering his pinky instead. His son grabbed hold of his father's finger and stuffed it in his mouth, trying to chew on it. Without teeth he more or less just gummed at it. The receptionist huffed grudgingly as she gestured for Adam to sit in the waiting room. Adam glanced at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes to ten. He rushed to the men's room, glancing around at the walls in search of the changing table. He didn't spot one and sighed. He pushed open the door to the handicap stall, seeing it mounted on the wall next to the toilet.

"Well little man I guess this will have to do." He said. His son babbled at him around his pinky finger. Adam locked the stall door behind him and walked to the table, lowering it from the wall and setting the diaper bag on it. He pulled out a wet wipe, wiping down the surface and pulling out a plastic mat to lay over it before he put his son on the surface.

Once he had changed his son and re-situated him in the carrier against his chest, Adam packed everything back in the diaper bag and stepped out of the stall to wash his hands and dump the diaper into the garbage.

As he stepped out of the waiting room, he avoided the glances at the mothers and couples in the waiting rooms holding their babies. He was the only single father there. Adam found a comfortable seat in the corner of the waiting room away from everyone else and pulled his son from the carrier, holding him up to his face and rubbing his nose against the baby's.

"We don't need a mommy right little man? We're doing alright with just us." Adam said, more for himself than his son. He held his son closer to him, lowering his face and kissing the baby's tiny cheeks and head. His son squealed when Adams goatee brushed against his face.

"Cody Sackler?" He heard a voice call. Adam looked up and raised his hand. The intern nodded at him with a smile and waited for him to stand. Adam resettled his son in the carrier and picked up the diaper bag as he walked into the back room with her.

"You're here to see Dr. Garcia?" She asked, checking her notes. Adam confirmed and adjusted the diaper bag on his shoulder. The intern showed him to a room where he could wait. Adam sat in a chair in the corner of the room with his son in his lap, waiting for the door to open and Cody's pediatrician to walk through the door. He finally heard the knob click and lifted his head to look at the door.

"Mr. Sackler, how are you?" Dr. Garcia asked as she stepped through the door. Adam shook her outstretched hand and shook his head.

"Good, tired but good." He said. She reached out for Cody and Adam had to force himself to let go of his son. Cody squirmed at the loss of warmth from being held so close to Adam's chest and Dr. Garcia laid Cody on the exam table. Cody squealed in protest and Adam reached forward, offering Cody his hand. Cody took his father's finger, shoving it in his mouth and chewing on it.

Dr. Garcia pulled out the 'length board' as she called it, setting it on the table next to Cody. She gently laid Cody on the board and lined his head up with the bottom of the headboard before pushing his legs flat and adjusting the footboard.

Cody squirmed and burbled around Adam's finger as Adam leaned against the wall, resting his head against the wall. Dr. Garcia lifted Cody off the length board and laid him back on the table. Cody let go of Adams finger, reaching out towards his father. Adam smiled at his son as Dr. Garcia pulled out the scale. She positioned it on the floor and covered the solar panel to turn it on.

"Mr. Sackler?" She asked. Adam looked up from Cody to see the scale. He nodded his head, kicking off his heavy steel-toed boots as he worked on undressing Cody. He was used to the weighings after Cody's previous appointments. Dr. Garcia wrapped Cody in a blanket as Adam stepped onto the scale. Dr. Garcia zeroed the scale and handed Cody to Adam. Cody curled into Adam's chest, burbling happily against his father's shoulder. Dr. Garcia wrote down the new weight and Adam stepped off the scale.

He handed Cody back to Dr. Garcia as he worked on putting his boots back on. Dr. Garcia finished her measurements and laid Cody on the table. She marked a few things in his growth chart before turning to Adam.

"Well his growth is good, he's on track for where he's supposed to be." She said, flipping a few pages on her clipboard.

"Because this is his six-month appointment it's a big one for shots. He needs his RV, third dost of DTaP, PCV, HiB, and because it's flu season I'd recommend giving him the influenza vaccine. That one is completely up to you, he also needs his final Hepatitis B dose between now and his eighteen-month appointment but that's up to you to decide when." Dr. Garcia said. Cody started squirming on the table and Adam stepped forward to pick him up. Cody immediately stopped squirming and took a handful of Adam's hair to chew on.

"Let's just do them all today, I don't know when I'll have time next." Adam said, resting his hand on Cody's back. Cody babbled quietly as he tugged on the lock of Adam's hair he held. Dr. Garcia watched the two carefully. She had been slightly worried that Cody wouldn't develop a good bond with a parental figure after his mother walked out on the two. But it seemed like Adam had made it a priority to develop a strong bond with his son.

"Ok, I'll have someone get those ready and we'll discuss his developmental milestones." Dr. Garcia said, opening the door and calling for one of the nurses to prepare the vaccines. She returned to her seat as Adam bounced Cody gently, pacing back and forth in the room to soothe him.

"Now, has he started trying to stand yet?" Dr. Garcia asked. Adam sighed. It was always similar questions. He knew Cody was on track, he kept up with the milestones and his son was right where he should be.

"He does stand, always with support and he takes his full weight with his legs. Yes, he rolls from his stomach to his back, he supports his weight with his hands when he sits, reaches for toys, and reached both hands to play with his feet." Adam said. Cody tugged on Adam's hair once again and Adam visibly winced. Dr. Garcia jotted down a few notes and continued her questions.

"What about sensory milestones?" She asked. Adam ran through the list, confirming every one. He did the same with communication, feeding, and coordination milestones."

"Now, what about self-expression?" Dr. Garcia asked. Adam paused in his pacing. He'd never heard of that one. He sat on the chair and tilted his head at Dr. Garcia. Cody had fallen asleep against his shoulder.

"For example, is he calmed by your touch? Does he get startled by everyday sounds, is he generally a happy baby?" She asked.

"Well yeah, he calms down when I cuddle and hold him, and he isn't very startled by everyday sounds. He doesn't like when my downstairs neighbors bang on the ceiling when he cries but to be honest, I don't like that either." He said. Dr. Garcia smiled at his attempt at a joke.

"And yeah, he's generally a happy baby." Adam said, Cody let out a tiny cough and Adam whipped his head to look at his son with worry etched across his features.

"That's good." Dr. Garcia said. The nurse walked into the room holding the vaccines Cody would need. Adam shifted Cody so the baby was sitting in his lap facing Dr. Garcia. Dr. Garcia started administering the vaccines while continuing to talk to Adam.

"How are you doing Adam?" She asked. Adam seemed confused by her question.

"I mean how are you doing. After Hayley left I knew it would be hard on you. How are you coping?" Dr. Garcia asked. Adam felt himself tense at the mention of Cody's mother.

"She left our son. _My _son. I can never forgive her for that." He said coldly. Dr. Garcia took the hint and tried to avoid her leaving.

"How has Cody been coping, there are a lot of developmental delays that can come from not having a mother." She said. Adam looked down at his son who had yet to cry from the vaccines. Dr. Garcia was a good pediatrician, and this was not her first time administering vaccines to babies.

"He seems to be okay. I've been trying really hard to be enough." He said quietly. He didn't want to admit he worried how Cody would cope without his mother. But Adam had stepped up. He spent time playing with his son, holding him skin to skin, feeding him, singing to him, spending time with him, he had given 110% of his time and effort to Cody. Cody was his whole world, his life, the reason he woke up in the morning, he couldn't let anything bad happen to his son.

There was silence as Dr. Garcia wrapped things up with Cody and Adam. Adam quickly redressed Cody and settled him into the chest carrier before picking up the diaper bag. He shook Dr. Garcia's hand and walked out of the exam room, through the waiting room and out the door. He settled everything on his bike and put Cody's helmet on, pushing off from the pediatricians' office and towards his job interview.

* * *

Adam arrived ten minutes before his interview was set to start and rushed into the building, checking in with the customer service desk.

"Hi, um I'm Adam, Sackler, and I have an interview scheduled for noon with Mr. Howard?" Adam said. The young girl working the desk held her palm out flat to him as she continued talking on the phone.

"Yeah, I know, yeah, ok hang on a sec I've got a DILF here I've got to deal with." She said. She set her phone face down on the desk and turned to look at him.

"You said your name was Adam Sackler?" She said. Adam nodded, running a hand through his hair and praying Cody would be good during the interview. Currently Cody was sleeping soundly while drooling on Adam's chest.

"Yeah, I was supposed to call you earlier. We filled the position already. I didn't call you, sorry, I don't know what to tell you." She said, chomping her gum and picking her phone back up. Adam felt his heart drop to his feet. This was his chance to get a good job to support Cody. His grandmother gave him $800 dollars a month but that went to cover rent and supplies for Cody. Now that Adam thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten something that wasn't instant noodles. Adam squeezed his hand into a fist, taking deep breaths before hitting the top of the counter and walking out of the building

He'd given up acting when Cody was born. He wanted a steady job, one that was guaranteed a good pay so he could start a college fund for his son. The money he made from selling his woodworking projects was barely enough to buy diapers every month. He leaned against the wall outside of the building, feeling the tears drip down his cheeks. He let his shoulders shake for a moment as he sobbed quietly in an attempt not to wake Cody up. He hit the wall with his closed fist and pushed himself to stand up straight. He turned to his bike and settled Cody into the seat for the third time that day, pointing the bike in the direction of their apartment and riding home. 


	2. Chapter 2

Day after day after day Adam went through the same routine. Wake up at least four times a night, take care of Cody. Get up in the morning, resist the urge to send a cinder block through his floor to shut his neighbors up, take a shower and bathe Cody at the same time (he'd found it was easier to hold him during a shower), then pack everything onto his bike and ride around looking for people hiring. His most promising job offer was at Grumpy's cafe. The manager Ray was an ass. Also a friend of Hannah's, and he didn't need to get mixed up with her shit again.

Today, however, his routine was interrupted when he heard a loud crash in the apartment next door to him followed by a distressed female voice. Adam shot from his sleep, glancing around frantically. Cody was still sound asleep in his crib. Adam breathed a sigh of relief, he hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. 

_"Matt! That was my favorite table, oh no." _He heard through the wall. He groggily sat up as a male voice started yelling. Adam sighed and climbed out of bed, pulling on a pair of sweat pants and running his hands through his hair. He padded out of his room to the front door and opened it to see a crew of people moving things into the apartment next door to his. He watched for a moment, until a woman with (h/l) (h/c) hair stepped from the apartment, tapping at something on her phone before shoving it in her pocket and whirling around to look at Adam.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw her face. Her perfect (e/c) eyes shone with a light he hadn't seen in anyone before. Her skin looked so soft and radiant as she caught his gaze and smiled a perfect smile that made his heart leap to his throat. She was gorgeous.

"Oh I'm so sorry, did I wake you?" She asked. Adam found himself swallowing in an attempt to get his words out. He'd never had a problem talking to girls before, why was it so hard now?

"Y-yeah, yeah. Um, it's not a big deal I just, I heard you saying something about a table?" He said, squinting in her direction and stepping into the hall. She looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on his bare chest for a moment before returning to his face.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." She explained. Adam glanced back into his apartment, watching closely for any movement from Cody sleeping in his crib. Cody shifted slightly and Adam tensed, ready to run to him, but there was no sign Cody was going to wake up soon.

"No you're fine, I just had no idea anybody was moving in." Adam explained, returning his gaze to her. He almost couldn't look into her eyes, they were so incredibly perfect and nearly glowing. She tilted her head in confusion, her smile faltering a little.

"Oh, they didn't tell you? I'm sorry I should've gone around and introduced myself then." She said. She stepped forward and held out her hand. Adam took it in a firm handshake.

"I'm (y/n), I'm moving in next door." She said with a giggle. Adam smiled and was about to introduce himself when there was another loud crash. Adam stood up straight and bolted back into his apartment when Cody let out a startled cry. Adam quickly reached Cody's crib, picking him up and shushing him gently. Cody pressed his body against Adam's bare chest, using one tiny hand to grab at Adam's hair. Adam lifted Cody so he was resting against his chest, his head on Adam's shoulder, and walked back to the door. He felt bad leaving (y/n) so quickly. 

When he looked out of his front door again, (y/n) was arguing with one of the men who had been moving things in and out. The man was easily twice her size, but she didn't seem to flinch as she berated him for dropping one of her boxes down the stairs.

"Honestly Ryan, I hired your company because you promise the upmost caution when moving things. So far one of your men has broken my dining room table, another nearly dropped the box _clearly_ labeled fragile, and now you've somehow managed to break my washing machine." She ranted. The man looked at her, avoiding her gaze. (y/n) sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I think that's enough for today. If you keep up this noise you're going to wake my other neighbors too." She said. Ryan cleared his throat and nodded, looking to the ground as he plodded back into the apartment. He returned a moment later with two other men, all of whom seemed sheepish as they walked out of the apartment. (y/n) let out a sigh before turning to walk back into her apartment and spotting Adam, her gaze quickly traveling to Cody resting against his chest.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, did they wake him up?" She asked, gesturing to Cody. Adam shrugged as Cody chewed on a lock of his hair.

"He's easy to comfort. He never cries for long." Adam said, gently pulling his hair away from Cody. Cody let out a quiet burble of protest before Adam lowered him and held Cody on his back, his head resting in the crook of Adam's elbow as Adam offered his finger for Cody to chew on.

"I'm Adam, by the way." Adam spoke, pulling her gaze away from Cody. She smiled and stepped towards him.

"It's very nice to meet you Adam." (y/n) said. Adam smiled at her, about to speak when a large dog came barreling up the stairs. It was larger than a Saint Bernard, and larger than any dog Adam had ever seen. He held Cody closer to him as the dog lumbered towards them, and (y/n) turned to look at the large creature. She let out a loud laugh and knelt on the floor, holding her arms open. The dog ran towards her and sat in front of her, allowing her to wrap her arms around the dogs neck.

"Moose! Good boy, oh I missed you." She said, ruffling the dogs fur. The dog panted happily and Adam heard somebody running up the stairs after the dog.

"Oh my God hun I'm so sorry his leash slipped out of my hand as we went up the stairs and I was trying to get him but I couldn't run too quickly bec-" The voice cut off as the woman reached the top of the stairs, catching sight of Adam in nothing but a pair of sweatpants.

"Who's this?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at (y/n). (y/n) grabbed the dogs thick leather leash, standing up and looking at the woman.

"Laura, this is Adam, our neighbor. Adam, this is my roommate and my best friend Laura." (y/n) introduced the two and Laura walked towards them, holding her hand out for Adam to shake. Laura was rather short, only reaching Adam's shoulder, and had long brown hair with deep brown eyes. She had a sharp edge to her as she stepped back, looking at Cody in Adam's arms.

"This is my son, Cody." Adam explained. (y/n) cooed at Cody, who smiled around Adam's finger while Laura kept her distance.

"Cute. Hey (y/n) did they bring up that box yet?" Laura asked. (y/n) turned to look at Laura.

"Oh yeah, they almost dropped it. I don't think anything broke though." She said. Laura nodded and glanced down her shirt, sighing and reaching into her bra. Adam jolted in shock as she pulled out a spotted white snake. The snake coiled itself around her arm and stuck its' tongue out at her.

"I get it you don't like it it's cramped, but it's the only place I can keep you warm enough." She said to the snake. The snake stuck it's tongue out at her again, stretching it's body towards her. She sighed and let the snake drape itself around her shoulders and neck before turning to the stairwell.

"Oh Chris babe I said I'd help with my stuff in your car." She said, rushing towards the stairs to take a few boxes from the hands of a large man. He was about as tall as Adam, with dark brown hair longer than his own. His shoulders weren't quite as broad as Adam's own but Adam didn't doubt this man could hold his own.

"I guess you're meeting the whole gang today," (y/n) teased as Chris approached the two, arms laden with boxes he maneuvered into the apartment. He did the guy head nod to Adam as an acknowledgement as he kicked the door open and shuffled the boxes in his arms.

"That's Chris, Laura's boyfriend." (y/n) said. Adam nodded, watching as Laura followed Chris with a few smaller boxes in her hands. The two reappeared a moment later, Chris leaning in the doorway and Laura with the snake wrapped around her neck twice.

"So uh, Laura, the snake..." Adam trailed off, watching as Laura disentangled the snake from around her neck and allowed it to wrap around her arm. The snake stretched towards Chris and he stuck his tongue out at the snake with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, this is Basil, short for Basilisk. He's a piebald ball python and he's my baby. Yes I keep him in my bra when we're moving because I definitely don't want him with anyone else and if he gets cold he dies so." She said. Basil stretched back towards her neck and Laura let him wrap around her neck once more.

Adam gave a slow nod before turning his gaze back to (y/n) to see her checking the time on her phone, letting out a quiet curse.

"Laura I'm running so late for Moose's vet appointment, are you ok, here, I mean?" She asked. Laura nodded and waved (y/n) away with a smile.

"You know we'll be fine (y/n), go get him his paperwork and the updated tags." Laura said, gently bustling (y/n) away. She waved a quick goodbye to Adam before jogging down the hall, Moose trotting at her heels. Adam turned to look at Chris, meeting his intense green eyes. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose and dark bags under his eyes. He looked older than his presumed age, but still confident.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you, and Cody, but Chris and I have some unpacking to do." Laura said, turning to Chris in the doorway. He chuckled and did air quotes as he mouthed the word "unpacking" and Laura shoved him in the door. Adam chuckled and called out,

"I'm headed out in about fifteen minutes and you don't have neighbors on the other side of you, be as loud as you want." He joked. Laura's face went red and Chris leaned out of the door to high five Adam. Adam chuckled as Laura dragged Chris back into the apartment and shut the door. There was a soft click from their lock as Adam stepped back into his apartment. Cody was staring up at him with wide eyes. Adam lifted Cody to his face, rubbing his nose against Cody's much smaller one and smiled at Cody's giggle.


	3. Chapter 3

As the weeks went on, you and Adam had grown closer. Usually his job hunting schedule aligned with your work schedule, and he found himself leaving the apartment with Cody at the same time you would walk out the door, dressed in a pair of sensible heels with a long coat obscuring the rest of your outfit as the seasons turned colder. He would wait for you to lock your door, before walking you down the steps of the building into the lobby. Then you would wait for him to unlock his bike and strap Cody into the small seat before saying your goodbyes and going your separate ways. 

It was a routine Adam found endearing, and one you found you didn't mind either. After a few days, you offered to hold Cody while Adam unlocked his bike. You'd noticed he struggled with the key in one hand while holding Cody in the other. Adam hesitated at first, before handing Cody over to you. You cooed to the baby, smiling widely down at him before Adam turned to take him back with the bike leaned against his hip. You had only been holding Cody for a moment, but you could see how anxious Adam was at not having Cody with him.

But after that day, Adam had started _asking _you to hold Cody while he unlocked his bike or stowed his bag in the basket. It was nice knowing Adam was gaining trust in you, and you definitely didn't mind holding Cody. He was adorable, and getting bigger by the day. Adam seemed much more relaxed around you as well, enjoying your presence rather than seeming on edge.

"Where are you going today?" You asked him one morning. You'd exchanged your heels for a pair of winter boots as the temperature dropped. Rather than the sharp click of your heels on the floor you listened to the rhythm of your boots and Adam's shoes thunking on the hard stairs in the stairwell. Cody was bundled up in a small winter coat, with warm fuzzy socks and boots on his small feet. Adam was in a thicker ratty jacket, wearing his usual jeans and a T-shirt underneath.

"There's a club a few blocks over offering a job. They didn't specify which kind but, it's a job." Adam said as the two of you stepped out into the lobby. As you approached the interior bike rack, Adam handed Cody off to you. Cody babbled happily at you, softly touching the short faux rabbit fur that lined the hood of your winter coat. Adam worked on unlocking the bike, before leaning it against his body and turning to glance at you and Cody. You were softly humming to him as Cody reached for your finger. He felt warmth surge through his chest. You looked like Hayley had, the first time she held Cody.

Adam shook his head violently to clear the thought. You weren't Hayley. She had left Cody, she had left Adam, and she wasn't coming back. You didn't need to take over the role as Cody's mom, because Cody didn't need a mom. He had Adam, and that was good enough. He was good enough. 

"That's good. Any idea what the hours are?" You asked, as Adam fussed with the fabric cover and sun shade he'd bought for Cody's bike seat, to keep the cold wind from getting to him. 

"Here let me help, these can be tricky." You said, handing Cody back to Adam. Adam took his son, cradling him against his shoulder as he watched you. You laid the fabric cover over the plastic seat, pulling the straps through the pre-cut holes in the cover. You then reached for the sun shade, attaching it to the seat and popping it into place. Adam settled Cody in the seat on his bike. Adam buckled the small helmet over Cody's little hat and pulled out a small pair of mittens from his own jacket pocket.

"I'm not sure, about the hours. I'm hoping it'll be during the day, like setting up for the night rush. It's easier to find babysitters for the day." Adam slipped the mittens over Cody's hands, tightening the string at the bottom and tying them to the loop on Cody's coat sleeves so he couldn't pull them off or drop them during the ride. You nodded thoughtfully as you watched Adam buckle Cody into the seat. He stood straight, flipping his hair out of his eyes as he looked back at you. Cody burbled happily from his seat.

"That would be good. Well, I hope you get the job." You encouraged as you and Adam walked out the door. Adam paused before walking out, lowering the shade down to block Cody from the New York winter winds.

"I hope so too." Adam said. The two of you paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. You finally shuddered from the cold, flipping your hood up and shoving your hands in your pockets.

"Well, I'll see you later Adam." You said with a grin. Adam waved goodbye and you turned to wave at Cody through the tinted plastic window in the shade before walking the opposite direction to your job. Adam waited for a break in the traffic, before pushing off his bike and riding towards the club a few blocks away.

* * *

"Hey, I saw you guys posted a job opening?" Adam greeted the man at the empty bar top drying cups. The bartender glanced up, eyeing the baby carrier strapped to Adam's chest before looking back up to Adam's face and snorting.

"Yeah, we did. I'm not in charge of it though." The man said, stacking the cup he'd been drying only to pick up another and continue the process. He didn't say anything else, just continued drying his cups.

"Who would be in charge of it?" Adam asked. He could feel his patience wearing thin. It had been days since he'd found a lead this promising at a job. There was always the opening at Grumpy's, but that was way too close to Hannah for his comfort. He wanted nothing to do with her.

"That would by Viggo Hartvigsen." The bartender said, gesturing to a door at the back of the club. Adam glanced back to see the large black door with red designs on it. Adam sighed before approaching the door. There was a small paper taped to the door that said "Job inquiries, please knock." Adam raised his fist, knocking gently on the door. He heard a booming "come in" before he opened the door. The man sitting at the desk was massive. He had dark hair braided down his back, and a thick beard covering most of his features. When he lifted his head, Adam noticed the beard was braided as well.

"Are you Mr. Hartvigsen?" Adam asked. The man flashed him a smile before standing from his desk. He was a few inches taller than Adam, although the berth of his shoulders made him look much larger. 

"Please call me Viggo. You are?" Viggo asked, offering his hand for Adam to shake. Adam gave a firm handshake before Viggo gestured for him to sit in the chair across the desk. Adam glanced around at the walls, seeing old Viking artifacts scattered throughout the room.

"I'm Adam Sackler. I heard you were offering a job?" He said. viggo's face fell as he pursed his lips.

"I'm sorry Mr. Sackler, we gave that position away earlier today. A little college boy came in lookin' for a job, said he needed the money for tuition." Viggo said. Adam sighed, resting his hands on the arms of the chair to stand. Cody let out a squeal and waved his arms around in an attempt to shake off the mittens from his hands. Viggo snapped his head up, finally spotting the baby carrier nestled under Adam's jacket. 

"And who might this be?" Viggo asked with a grin. Adam gently took Cody's hands in one of his own, smoothing his other hand over Cody's dark hair.

"This is Cody, my son. I'm sorry I brought him I just couldn't find a sitter." Adam said. Viggo watched as Cody calmed down, resting his small head against Adam's chest.

"Do ya need this job for the wee one?" Viggo asked, his face falling grim. Adam nodded, looking down at Cody.

"Well I'll tell you what Mr. Sackler. I pride myself on being a good person. The Gods saw fit to give me enough to thrive with ownership of this club, and I choose to use it to help those who were handed a rotten fish." Viggo said. Adam blinked. He didn't know what that meant entirely, but he had hope.

"My night security man has has been asking me to hire another man for the evening shifts. He's in hot water with his wife for missing one too many dinners. What do you say to working, oh, every other night?" Viggo offered. Adam felt his heart jump into his throat. This was his first real offer.

"I, that would be amazing!" Adam said, a wide smile on his face. Viggo mirrored his grin and offered his hand.

"It's a deal then Mr. Sackler. How d'ya feel about starting tomorrow?" Viggo asked. Adam graciously accepted. Viggo offered a generous hourly wage for his first month, changing to a large salary after the one month mark. He even offered various benefits that Adam couldn't hope for anywhere else. Adam filled out the paperwork required, before nearly skipping out of the office. This was his chance at a better life for Cody, and he couldn't wait.

* * *

You walked through the rear entrance of the restaurant straight into the kitchen. You turned into the small coat closet, dropping your thick coat and hanging it on one of the pegs on the wall, pulling your small black heels from your bag and replacing your boots with the heels. You opened your locker, pulling out your fancy apron and dropping it over your neck, tying it behind your back before doing your hair the way it needed to be done to be considered acceptable for your dress code. Luckily, your manager was fairly relaxed when it came to hairstyles. 

You walked through the kitchen, greeting the rest of the waitstaff and the cooks before clocking in and checking in with the hostess at the front to let her know you were there. Luckily your section hadn't needed to be opened yet, as the lunch rush hadn't arrived yet.

Finally, there was a group of four girls that were sat in your section. You rushed over to greet them with your usual cheery smile, asking for drink orders. The girls all gave their order. Some sort of alcoholic drink, except for one. The girl with short hair pulled back into a ponytail. You hated to be rude, but her teeth were also a little crooked. You took their order, giving them to the bartender. The only one you could bring out was the root beer the girl with crooked teeth had ordered.

As you walked back out, you heard the group chatting amongst themselves.

"So what's going on with that Adam fellow? After he dumped me I thought he went back to you." The British one said, addressing the toothy girl.

"No ew Jessa. As if I want anything to do with him." The toothy girl snapped.

"Hannah, you came to me crying after he hooked up with that one girl, I think her name was Hayley?" The blonde said. You couldn't help but listen in as you stood at the waiters station a few feet away after dropping off the root beer.

"Marnie, please. We don't say her name." Hannah said with a sigh as she took a sip of the root beer.

"Didn't he get her pregnant?" The quiet girl in the corner spoke up.

"Ah yes, that's right. He knocked her up didn't he, that's why you're upset. He wouldn't help you raise your baby then had one of his own. I can see why that would upset you." Jessa said. They paused their conversation to show ID's and pay for drinks as the bartender handed them their drinks.

"Well I heard she left him." Marnie said in an attempt to console toothy gi- Hannah. You meant Hannah.

"I heard. Honestly it serves him right, it's hard to raise a baby by yourself and he should have to see how it is." Hannah snapped. "His kid has a stupid name too, mines cuter. Honestly who names their kid Cody?" 

Upon hearing that, you almost dropped the refill of root beer you had brought her. You recovered with a small huff, avoiding spilling the root beer in her lap, instead placing it in front of her with a pained smile. They were talking about _Adam_? _Your _Adam? It seemed hard to believe he was ever acquainted with that group, they were all varying degrees of messy.

You excused yourself quickly to the back, taking a moment to gather your thoughts. You wondered if Adam would be comfortable talking about this tonight?

* * *

On the way home Adam had stopped and bought himself a coffee. Not just a plain coffee, he could make those at home. No, one of the expensive ones from Starbucks. He hated the culture surrounding it, but if he had to be honest they had good coffee. He resisted the urge to buy himself a Christmas cookie as well, he couldn't be going wild just yet.

He couldn't wait to tell you about it. He considered you one of his closest friends, and you had only moved in a month ago. He skidded to a halt outside the apartment building, looking down the street and hoping to see you walking home. He knew in the back of his mind that it would be hours before you got home, he'd only been gone for two, but he couldn't stop himself from hoping.

"Hey Adam." He heard a voice. He looked next to him to see Laura pressing the buttons on the rooms until somebody buzzed her in. She stopped and held the door for Adam as he walked his bike into the building and started locking it on the rack.

"Hey Laura, how's Basil?" He asked. He was still curious about the snake.

"He's doing well, doesn't like the cold but who does." She said. Her voice seemed flatter than normal, Adam wondered if she was alright. He glanced up to see her bundled in a thick coat trimmed with long tan fur. Her black snow boots were laced tight and she was wearing a pair of thick leggings. She had a pair of furred earmuffs on and a cashmere scarf wrapped around her neck. She really didn't like the cold.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked her. Laura shivered and stomped the snow off her boots before walking with Adam up the stairs as Adam held Cody's hand.

"Fine. Chris's roommates are kicking him out so I've been helping him pack his shit- sorry, stuff, all day." She said. She flipped her hood down and pushed the earmuffs off her ears as she dug in her pocket for her apartment key as they reached their floor.

"Why are they kicking him out?" Adam asked. From what he'd seen of Chris, he was a calm quiet man. He couldn't imagine what he could have done to be kicked out.

"One of his roommates assho-jerk, sorry, girlfriend got into his Vyvanse and Chris flipped his shit." Laura said as she and Adam walked down the hall.

"Vyvanse?"

"It's ADHD medication, Chris is ADHD as shi- frick. Vyvanse is like an off brand Adderall, but it's expensive as all he-fuck-_wait," _Laura hissed to herself, glancing at Cody in Adam's arms. "Sorry I'm so used to swearing all the time." She said. Adam chuckled.

"It's alright, I swear a lot too. I'm working on it but nobody's perfect. Besides he doesn't say many coherent words yet. I'll start worrying more when he copies people." He said with a smile. Laura smiled back as they reached their apartment doors.

"Anyway, his roommates girlfriend took a ton of it. Almost overdosed, Chris flipped because now he's out nearly a week of doses, his roommate flipped out because he had to pay for an ambulance. It's a mess. So they're kicking him out and we're trying to find him a place to stay." She finished as she unlocked the apartment door. 

"Damn, that sucks." Adam said as Laura opened the door.

"Yeah, so it's been a bit stressful lately. Sorry for bothering you you didn't need to hear all that." Laura said as she watched Adam unlock his own apartment.

"No worries, you gotta get shit out or you'll explode." Adam said as he opened his own door.

"I'll see you later Laura." Adam said, waving goodbye as he walked into his apartment. He thought about his job again, and did a little hop as he walked to his room. He couldn't stop a smile breaking out as he shucked his jacket off and dropped it on the couch as he walked. He pulled Cody from the carrier and sat on the bed with Cody in front of him as he pulled his son's winter clothing off. Cody babbled happily as Adam puffed his cheeks out and blew a raspberry at Cody. Adam leaned over the bed to unlace his shoes and listening to Cody continue his babbling.

"Dada!" Adam froze when he heard Cody speak. He turned to look at his son, seeing him with a wide smile on his face as he waved his arms towards Adam. Cody leaned forward and made "grabby hands" at Adam and squealing. 

"Dada dada dada!" Cody said and leaned forward until he was flat on his stomach. He started scooting towards Adam. Adam felt tears streaming down his cheeks as he reached forward and picked up Cody. Cody leaned against Adam's chest and reached up to grab a handful of Adam's thick black hair. 

"Dada." Cody said contentedly as he rested his head on Adam's shoulder and tugged gently at Adam's hair. Adam didn't even notice the sharp tugs as he rested one large hand on his son's back. His shoulders shook as he pressed his cheek against Cody's head. Cody continued quietly babbling to Adam, occasionally saying "dada" again before he drifted off to sleep.

Adam thought he'd never put Cody down again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: child neglect

Adam lay in his bed holding Cody while he slept on his fathers chest. He looked to the side of him to where Hayley slept. Had slept. He remembered the day she'd moved in. She didn't have much to move in, claimed that Adam had everything she needed besides her clothes. So he'd helped her move her things to a storage unit she rented with her mom.

He now saw that this was probably a red flag, but they'd been together for a few months. She wanted to move out of her apartment with her roommates eventually, and they had just found out she was pregnant. It seemed like the perfect time, and Adam was so caught up in the euphoria of having a family. He'd never admit it, but deep down he'd always wanted the white picket fence stuff people talked about.

Eight months of living together had been amazing. He'd taken care of them, he'd gotten a job as a waiter at a cafe, sold his woodworking projects on the side, and did odd jobs people hired him for. Hayley stayed home and relaxed. Adam kept the house clean, cooked as much as he could, he did everything for her. He didn't want her to lift a finger. He'd never had experience with anyone pregnant, but he knew stress could be bad.

Hayley hadn't minded it. In fact she seemed upset whenever Adam would miss cleaning the apartment for one day. Which he understood, he'd told her he would take care of it and he didn't. He could never be a father like that.

After eight months everything went to shit. Cody was born, it was more complex than they originally anticipated. Hayley had wanted to have a home birth, she never liked hospitals. Adam also found out, Hayley had wanted a daughter. She wanted the gender to be a surprise for both of them, and it was, just not the surprise she wanted. She seemed disgusted when she held him, though Adam had passed that off as him still being a little wrinkly and red.

But Adam, Adam was in love the moment he saw Cody. The first time he held his son and Cody let out a soft sigh before leaning further into Adam's chest, Adam was in love. He never wanted to put Cody down. He never wanted his son to leave his arms where he could keep him safe and warm and loved. Adam ran a hand over his son's head, examining every bit of his face. He had Hayley's soft features, Adam hoped there would be a little bit of himself in his son.

Now that Cody was older, Adam could see more of himself in his son. Looking down at the baby sleeping on his chest he could see his own nose starting to show on Cody's face. He had hoped Cody wouldn't get his nose or ears, those were the things he hated most about himself. But Cody had gotten both. As he got older more freckles appeared on his sons face too. Day after day he started to look more like Adam than Hayley, but the eyes, the bright blue eyes would never change.

Hayley never held Cody. She would hold him long enough to breastfeed him, but she always seemed uncomfortable. Always in a rush to put him down. It got to the point where Cody would cry from hunger. It broke Adam's heart, but Hayley refused to store any breastmilk when she pumped, and told Adam under no circumstances would she formula feed him. But Adam couldn't take it anymore.

Finally, after a month of watching his son go hungry, he snuck out and bought a box of newborn formula and a few bottles. He stopped by a 24-hour coffee shop on the way home, asking for a cup of hot water and making a bottle at one of the small corner tables before sneaking back into the house. By the time he got home the bottle had cooled enough that he could feed Cody.

He walked softly through their room to where Cody slept, avoiding the squeaky floorboards and the piles of magazines he had on the floor. He reached into Cody's crip, holding the narrow bottle between his teeth as he lifted his son into his arms. Cody huffed the way babies do before feeling the warmth radiating from Adam and snuggling closer. Adam felt his heart thudding in his chest as he glanced to where Hayley was sleeping. She rolled over with a snore as Adam tiptoed out of the room into the bathroom. 

He sat in the small space with Cody against his chest and the bottle in his hand. He watched as Cody sucked greedily on the bottle. Adam had to be careful how much he gave him at a time, he didn't want Cody to get sick from eating too fast. But every time he would pull the bottle away from Cody's lips his instincts would scream at him to give it back, feed his child, protect him and care for him and never let him go. Finally when he was done, he would hold Cody against his shoulder and burp him gently the way he remembered from the parenting classes Hayley had insisted they attend. When she was excited to be a mother. When she wanted a baby. 

And that was how his nights went. He would walk down the street at night to make a bottle or two in the coffee shop so Hayley didn't hear him. It had gotten to the point where the employees knew his schedule and would have a thermos of hot water ready for him, giving him a sad smile every time they handed it to him and he left five dollars in the tip jar. They didn't charge him anymore.

With the bottles in hand he would sneak back into his own apartment and steal his son away from his crib, gently waking him up to feed him. Cody had started putting on the weight appropriate for a newborn, and Adam's heart was a little more at ease. Cody didn't cry as much during the day anymore. Hayley passed it off as him finally growing out of his needy baby stage, but Adam knew what it really was. Because after feeding Cody every night Adam would strip Cody down to his diaper and hold Cody against his bare chest. They'd drilled it into their heads in the parenting classes, skin to skin was important for development. He would hold his son, watch him breathe, admire every curve on his face and every sound he made.

He remembered the night she left. They'd had a massive fight. He had been secretly feeding Cody for three months now. She had woken up after Adam snuck out of the apartment and was waiting for him when he came back into the room. She reached over and turned on the lamp on her bedside table before standing and turning to face him angrily.

"Who is she?" She'd asked. Adam's mouth dropped open, holding a full bottle in either hand and with the box of formula sticking out of his jacket pocket. Hayley's eyes flitted between the two, then to where Adam was focused on Cody in his crib. A fire lit behind her eyes as she stomped towards Adam and shoved him out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

"You're formula feeding him!?" She had snapped, wrenching one of the bottles out of his hands. Adam resisted the urge to grab it back and run to his son, hold Cody close and never let her touch him.

"Adam I said I didn't want him formula fed!" Hayley said with her voice slightly raised. Adam glanced worriedly towards the door, he didn't have time to deal with this, Cody must be hungry, he didn't think Hayley had fed him at all today. He remembered she said she hadn't been producing as much.

He felt a harsh slap to his cheek and winced before turning his head to look at Hayley. She was angry, holding the bottle in one hand with her other poised to slap him again if he didn't pay attention.

"Look at me!" She yelled at full volume. Adam heard Cody start crying from the bedroom and stepped towards the door before Hayley grabbed his arm and dug her nails into his wrist. Adam winced as she pulled him back.

"I'm talking to you! Why are you formula feeding him?" She snapped. Adam was being pulled in two different directions. Hayley was angry, she deserved an answer. But what was the answer? But Cody was crying, he was crying so loud and so much, every bone in Adam's body was telling him to run to his son and hold him close, feed him, protect him.

"Adam!" Hayley yelled again, raising her hand to slap him again. Adam snapped.

"Because you starve him!" Adam roared in her face. Hayley froze, grabbing the other bottle out of his hand and the formula from his jacket pocket before Adam could react. Adam realized what she was doing as she ran to the bathroom. Adam chased her, just missing her as she slammed the bathroom door and locked it.

"Hayley, Hayley!" Adam yelled as he pounded on the door.

"I won't let you formula feed him anymore!" She yelled back at him, Adam heard the water running and could only assume she was dumping every last bit of the bottles and formula down the drain. Adam continued pounding on the door before he heard a particularly loud cry from Cody that snapped him out of his rage. He whipped his head towards the bedroom door and ran.

He threw the door open to see Cody laying in his crib on his back. Adam rushed towards his sons crib, lifting him out of the crib and holding Cody against his chest. She gently rocked him and shushed him, resting one large hand on his back as he tucked his chin and kissed his son's head. Soon Cody stopped crying, holding tight to a lock of Adam's dark hair as he leaned against Adam's shoulder. Adam could hear his tiny stomach growling and remembered where Hayley was.

He let out a growl, his chest rumbling against Cody as he stormed back to the bathroom. The door was still locked, but the water was off. He knocked on the door, hoping to hear something from her.

"Hayley, let's talk." He said with as much calm as he could muster. He didn't want to yell with Cody so close. He felt Cody tug on the lock of hair and looked down to see him chewing on it with his eyes fluttering closed. Whatever kept him calm. Adam would let Cody rip his hair out if it made him happy and kept him calm right now. Adam couldn't handle his son being upset right now.

"Hayley, please." Adam said. He heard the lock click and she opened the door with an angry glare. She saw how easily Cody leaned into Adam, how peaceful the baby looked as he chewed on his father's hair. She reached for Cody and Adam instinctively reached a hand up to Cody's back, twisting his body away from her.

"No." Adam growled without thinking. Hayley pulled her hand away as if he was a feral animal poised to attack her. 

"I am not starving my child." Hayley seethed. Adam felt Cody's stomach rumble against his chest again and felt the urge to press Hayley's hand to it so she could feel for herself.

"You're no-, you think you're not starving him?" Adam said with a laugh of disbelief. Hayley crossed her arms and turned her nose up to him.

"My body knows what he needs, if I stopped making milk he doesn't need it anymore." She said. Adam huffed in disbelief, looking up to the ceiling and wondering how whatever gods existed could be so cruel as to subject an innocent baby to starvation, because his mother was an idiot.

"You're fucking unbelievable." He muttered. He felt Hayley jab a finger into his stomach harshly, causing his muscles to start aching.

"Don't talk to me like that!" She snapped. Cody startled and tugged at Adam's hair. Adam started bouncing him gently against his shoulder and shushing him.

"I'm not starving him! He's going to get fat." She said, matter-of-factly. That caused Adam's blood to run cold.

"Fat? Hayley he's four god damn months old! They're supposed to be a little chubby he's skin and bones!" Adam snapped. Cody let out a cry and Adam pressed his cheek against Cody's head in an attempt to soothe him. He didn't know what to do, he was trying to hold back his own tears, keep Hayley from taking Cody, and keep Cody from crying too.

"I'm his mother I know what he needs!" She yelled, grabbing for Cody again. She managed to catch his onesie and pulled him from Adam's arms, her grip fumbling as she nearly dropped him. She managed to catch him, but not without knocking Cody's head against the door frame. Adam sprung into action without thinking as Cody started screaming. He ripped Cody away from her, holding him close to chest and pushing Hayley against the wall.

"Don't fucking touch him." He growled from deep in his chest. There was a mix of fear and anger in her eyes.

"You're a fucking shit mother. He is starving. You never hold him longer than five minutes." He said. Hayley's eyes hardened as tears started pricking at the corner of Adam's eyes.

"You think I don't notice that you've never changed his diaper? You wait until I do it. You think I don't notice the dried spit up on his clothes? Have you done anything for him besides breastfeed him for maybe five minutes a day?" Adam hissed. The tears started streaming from his eyes as Cody continued screaming. Adam looked down to see a small goose egg growing where Cody's head had connected with the door frame.

"You're one to talk, you're never home." Hayley said with her arms folded.

"I'm never home because I'm out providing for my family!" Adam yelled, immediately regretting it when Cody cried. Adam felt his heart break a little as Cody fisted Adam's shirt in his hands.

"I'm out earning money to pay for his pediatric appointments, which by the way you've gone to none of yet, to pay for the bills and clothes for him and diapers and now formula because you don't fucking feed him." He said, bouncing Cody gently. Hayley reached for Cody again and Adam twisted his body once again, pushing Hayley's hand away.

"I said don't touch him." He snapped. Hayley crossed her arms again before storming into the bedroom and throwing on a pair of pants, pulling out her suitcase and throwing her clothes into it haphazardly.

"Then you keep him. I never wanted a son in the first fucking place Adam!" She yelled, pointing a finger angrily at him.

"But you just couldn't pull out and now look at yourself." She said as she walked into the bathroom and grabbed her shampoo and conditioner.

"Me!? You said you were on the pill! And we used a fucking condom Hayley!" Adam said. It was true, they'd never had sex without a condom. As much as Adam wanted a family he wasn't sure he had been ready for one, but he wouldn't give up Cody for anything.

"Well I lied okay? I wasn't on the pill. And maybe I pricked the condoms because y'know what I wanted a family but now I realize that was a mistake." Hayley snapped as she shut her suitcase and zipped it shut before dragging it off the bed and onto the floor with a thud. She dragged it out of the bedroom and towards the door.

"You what?!" Adam said in disbelief. Cody was still crying, but it had gotten quieter. 

"Yeah that's right I fucked with your condoms Adam." She said with a wicked grin. She seemed delighted that she had gotten under his skin.

"Get the fuck out of my apartment." He said, pointing towards the door. Hayley's face fell.

"Get the fuck out, don't come back. Now!" He said, walking towards her quickly. She stormed to the front door and threw it open before stepping out.

"Don't expect any help with him, I never wanted him anyway." Hayley said firmly. Adam slammed the door in her face, causing Cody to scream loudly again. Adam rested his hand on Cody's back, pulling him away from his body and examining the bump on his head. It wasn't large luckily, and Adam tucked Cody back against his chest before walking back into the bedroom and grabbing the diaper bag from where it had been shoved behind the crib. It was never used unless they had a pediatric appointment for Cody.

"Come on bud, let's go." Adam said. He picked up the diaper bag, holding Cody against his chest and walking past the bathroom. He paused for a moment, pushing open the door to the bathroom to see the remnants of the formula powder in the sink. He glanced into the toilet to see the bottles floating in the water. He let out a sigh, rearranging how Cody sat against his chest before walking out of the bathroom and out the front door, beginning the trek to the store for more formula to feed his son.


	5. Chapter 5

Adam woke with a start when he felt something moving on his chest. He glanced down to see Cody shuffling on his chest. Adam let out a sigh and rested his hand on his son’s back, thankful Cody hadn’t fallen off while Adam slept. He turned his head to glance at the clock on his bedside table. 6:00, he should have been making dinner for himself, and Cody was no doubt hungry. Adam stood while holding Cody against his chest and remembering what Dr. Garcia had said about trying to move Cody away from formula. He thought he’d gotten some jars of baby food on a sale at the store but looking in the pantry they were nowhere to be found. He sighed and reached for the can of formula. Solid foods would have to wait.

He opened the can to find it empty. He dropped it in the garbage can in the corner, before reaching for the second can only to grasp empty air. He dug around in the pantry, silently cursing in his head before shutting the door with more force than necessary. He grumbled under his breath before walking to where he’d dropped the chest carrier, laying Cody on the couch before fastening the carrier to his own chest. He picked up Cody, walking to the bedroom and dressing him in a light jacket and mittens. He would be close enough to Adam’s chest to stay warm. Cody squirmed and grumbled when Adam put his mittens on his hands before slowly waking with a start.

Adam shushed him quietly, lifting Cody so his head was resting on Adam’s shoulder. Cody reached up to grab Adam’s hair and Adam winced as he tugged sharply. Adam set Cody in the carrier, lowering his head with his son to avoid losing a lock of his hair. He gently freed his hair from his son’s grip, talking softly to Cody while making his way to the bathroom. He dug around in the drawers before finding what he was looking for, a black elastic band. He gathered the hair that Cody could reach from the carrier and pulled his hair back into the elastic, resulting in a half ponytail. He made a mental note to get his hair trimmed.

Adam walked to the couch, lifting his jacket in his arms and sliding it on as Cody waved his hands around in an attempt to remove the mittens that Adam had tied to his coat sleeves. Cody let out an indignant squeal as Adam zipped his jacket around Cody.

“Dada!” Cody screeched as he swung his tiny angry fists out to the side. Adam let out a sigh, taking Cody’s hands.

“I know you don’t like it kid, but you’ve gotta wear ‘em.” He said as he released one of Cody’s hands to smooth his hand over the soft black hair on Cody’s head.

Adam double checked he had his keys and wallet before walking out the door, locking it behind him and venturing down the hall. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he thumped down the stairs. He heard a similar thumping sound, just much lighter, and looked down the stairwell to see you making your way up the stairs. Your hair was awry as you gripped the handrail tightly.

“(y/n)!” Adam called delightedly. You snapped your head up, a smile breaking across your face when you spotted him.

“Hey Adam!” You replied. Adam quickly made his way down the stairs and pulled you into a hug, careful not to crush Cody. You were slightly taken aback, yes you and Adam had touched, but it was nothing more than a high five or handshake. He pulled away and held onto your shoulders.

“I got a job.” He said, his voice at a whisper, almost as if he believed it would turn to dust if he said it too loud. Your smile grew before you hugged him again with a delighted squeal. Cody huffed in protest at the proximity and you pulled away before running your hand gently through Cody’s soft black locks.

“That’s great Adam!” You said joyously. He nodded happily, and the two of you stood in a not so awkward silence for a few moments before you spoke. 

“Where are you headed?” You asked, glancing between his face and the back of Cody’s head just poling out from under Adam’s jacket.

“Oh, the store. I’m out of formula and baby food, I should’ve checked sooner.” He said with a chuckle. You remembered that you were out of batteries, and a little low on milk for your taste. normally Laura would grocery shop, but she was lactose intolerant and nearly always forgot the milk, and cheese, and nearly every dairy item. You never made a list, so it was forgivable, she just never thought about it.

“Mind if I tag along?” You said, turning to face down the stairs. You had been looking forward to a warm shower but you would much rather spend time with Adam. You wanted to get to know him past just his fatherhood. That couldn’t be all that defined him.

“Not at all, M'lady.” Adam offered his arm to you and you took it. He helped steady you as you walked down the stairs on your sore feet.

The two of you walked to the store in a comfortable silence. You had kept your arm linked with his as you walked, not quite wanting to pull yourself away from his warmth. Occasionally you would glance over to him, watching him as he walked, counting the beauty marks on his face or examining his hair. You didn’t mind it pulled back, but you much preferred it loose. 

When you reached the store Adam grabbed a cart and unzipped his jacket, laying it atop the children’s seat. You unbuttoned your coat before quickly pulling it back closed and shivering. It was too cold for your taste.

“So, the job, where’s it at?” You asked. He had seemed so excited about it, you figured that was a good opening topic before you asked him your burning question.

“Oh, it’s at that pub downtown, it’s called Valhalla. The owner seems, nice. He’s a little intimidating. I start tomorrow.” Adam said as he pushed the cart into the store with you in step beside him. The two of you chatted about his job as he made a B-line for the infant section. You glanced to the back of the store to the dairy section before breaking away from Adam with a quick explanation.

Adam watched with a smile as you walked away, before continuing down the aisle. He picked up a few more cans of formula, and jars of baby food. He also picked up a new toy that Cody seemed to be particularly interested in and looked at a few of the baby walkers they had stocked. He wrinkled his nose and shook his head, remembering what Dr. Garcia said about how dangerous the walkers could be. Besides, Cody was learning to move on his own.

Adam roamed through the aisles a bit more before running his grocery list in his head and deciding now was as good a time as any to pick up some of the more urgent things on his list. He made his way to the toilet paper section, parking the cart at the far end of the crowded aisle before weaving his way through the swarm of people. Adam reached to one of the taller shelves to grab a pack of toilet paper when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to look behind him to see a rather short, elderly woman shyly wringing her hands.

“I’m so sorry to bother you sir, but would you mind grabbing me a pack?” She asked gently. Adam flashed a smile and handed her the pack he had just grabbed down before turning to grab another for himself. He felt another tap on his shoulder and let out a sigh before holding the pack behind him. He felt somebody take it from his hands before grabbing another, and feeling another tap. He froze, trying to quell his frustration. He cursed his genetics for making him tall and cursed the fact that nobody in this aisle was even as tall as his shoulder. He turned wordlessly, holding the pack of toilet paper.

“Oh! How cute is he?” The middle-aged woman behind him cooed over Cody who was looking around curiously in the chest carrier. She reached to touch Cody and Adam felt the urge to curl himself around Cody. Instead he sharply cleared his throat and the woman withdrew her hand. Adam glanced behind her to see a bored looking teenager leaning on a basket that was pressed against the shelves across from Adam, which was funneling people much too close to him for comfort.

“I was going to ask if you would grab me a pack, but this little man is so cute!” The woman cooed at Cody. Adam held out the pack in his hand to her. She took it and called to the teenager before he looked up just in time to catch the pack of toilet paper in the chest. Adam suppressed a chuckle as the boy tried to catch it before just giving up and letting it fall to the floor. The woman turned back towards Adam, looking up to his face for the first time.

“I see where he got his handsome looks.” She said, holding her hand out to Cody. Cody pulled his arms inside the chest carrier, pressing his face against Adam’s chest as Adam rested a large hand over Cody through the carrier.

“Are you having fun with daddy on his week little man?” She asked. Adam felt a fire in his chest and suppressed a loud growl. _His weekend_? As if he was incapable of having Cody full time? As if he couldn’t take care of his own child?

“My week?” He said quietly, his brows knitted together tightly.

“Well yes I can’t imagine any court taking a baby away from their momma for longer than a week. She said, oblivious to the anger rising in Adam’s chest. He heard a faint "mom” from behind him and glanced towards her teenager to see him paying full attention now and trying to pull his mother back to the cart.

“Especially one so young and absolutely _precious, w_hat did you do to momma anyway?” She asked with a chuckle, looking up to Adam’s face.

“His fucking _momma," _Adam seethed, "was starving him and walked out on us when he was four fucking months old.” Adam snarled. She stood straight, the smile falling from her face.

“I snuck out of the house _every night_ to feed him so he wouldn’t starve. So I hope to god that if we had to go to court, they’d keep his _mother _away from him.” Adam said sharply before grabbing the fourth packet of toilet paper, and storming from the aisle. He heard a faint “how rude” from the aisle before hearing the woman ranting, most likely to her son, as Adam walked back to his cart. He dropped the toilet paper in the basket and grumbled to himself as he walked. He glanced down to Cody to see his son looking up at him with a happy smile. Adam thanked his luck that Cody was too young to understand what had just happened. He looked up to see you walking towards him, holding two gallons of milk and a few packs of batteries.

“Sorry Adam I had to track down an employee to help me find the batteries.” You set them in the cart away from his things.

“They were in the office supply section,” You said with a chuckle. “honestly why there?” Adam let out a small huff of a laugh from his nose and felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

“Got anything else you need?” You asked, cooing to Cody in the carrier when he turned to look at you. Adam shook his head. He just wanted to leave the store, and hopefully avoid any comments about his fatherhood and how it must be “his week.” Honestly, who did she think she was? The two of you walked towards the self-checkout section, splitting off and going to the two open stands across the space from each other.

Adam began scanning his items, watching Cody startle at each loud beep. He continued scanning items until he got to the formula can. For some reason the system decided it didn’t like that can and let out a loud beep before blocking the screen and blaring the message “Please Wait for assistance” repeatedly. Cody started crying in distress at the sound, causing Adam’s stress levels to skyrocket. He pulled Cody from the carrier, cradling him against his shoulder and bouncing while he searched for an associate to make the loud noises stop. Each time the message played Cody started crying again. Adam gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to squeeze his eyes shut against the piercing gazes of the other shoppers.

Finally, an associate appeared. An older man who walked with a slight limp. He gave Adam a tight-lipped smile before scanning his ID card and scanning the formula again. The machine started flashing again and the two men sighed. The associate scanned his card again, before typing in the item number manually. Finally, the machine accepted the can of formula. Adam let out a breath of relief both at the machine and the fact that Cody was no longer crying. Adam thanked the associate, who hung close by in case Adam’s kiosk decided to have problems again. Adam reached for his wallet and pulled it out, digging for his credit card to pay.

It wasn’t there. His credit card was missing.

Adam set his wallet on the small top next to the machine, leafing through it with one hand while cursing quietly. His card wasn’t there. He didn’t have enough cash to pay for _any _of the items and his credit card wasn’t in his wallet. Cody started fussing again and Adam felt tears pricking at his eyes as his anxiety swelled. He started breathing heavily and fumbling through his wallet. He tried to check it again, dropping it on the ground with a rather loud _Fuck_.

He heard bags rustling beside him and turned to watch you set the two gallons of milk and small bag of batteries down next to him before you pulled your own card out and slid it into the card reader. You gave Adam a gentle smile before bending down to pick up his wallet and handing it back to him. Adam took a deep breath and pressed his cheek against Cody’s head both in an attempt to comfort himself and his son.

You finished the transaction, replacing your own card in your wallet and sliding it into your purse before helping Adam load his bags onto his free arm, picking up your own and walking out of the store with him.

“Thank you.” Adam said quietly after a few minutes of silence. You turned to him with a smile.

“No need, it’s what friends are for.” You said gently. Adam quirked a smile and looked down to see Cody sleeping soundly against Adam’s shoulder. You were both quiet for a moment, before you spoke.

“So, today at work I had a group of girls come in.” You said, gauging his reaction. He was watching you carefully as you walked.

“And I think they knew you.” You said. You watched Adam fumble one of the bags and curse quietly.

“One of them was talking about her kid, I think her name was Hannah?” You said. Adam let out a groan.

“Yeah, I knew them. Jessa Marnie and Shoshanna were there too right?” He asked. You recognized two of the names but Shoshanna was unfamiliar.

“Yeah Jessa and Marnie, but I don’t recognize Shoshanna.” You said.

“Super quiet kind of shy and a little fuckin’ weird?” Adam said with a chuckle. Yep that was the third girl. You nodded with a giggle.

“Yeah, they were there.” You said.

“Anyway, she was saying she wanted you to help her raise her baby?” She continued. Adam groaned.

“She’s still going on about that?” He said before shifting Cody and the bags around in his arms.

“I guess, what’s up with that?” You asked. He sighed as you pressed the buzzer for your apartment, knowing Laura would be home to unlock the door. You heard the automatic latch click and pushed the door open, holding it open for Adam to follow.

“We were dating a while ago. God I was cringy, and she was a fucking weirdo.” Adam said as he walked up the stairs with you following.

“We broke up and got back together a few times, all her idea, and then I started dating the British one, Jessa.” Adam cleared his throat as you watched him.

“I guess Hannah got knocked up sometime during that, the guy didn’t want to be a father and I guess she figured because I always talked about having kids that meant I could be.” You hesitated outside your apartment door.

“Oh?” You urged him to continue.

“Do you want to come inside?” He asked softly. You nodded and pulled yourself away from your apartment, approaching his door. He pulled out his keys to unlock it, pushing the door open and setting the bags on the floor beside the door to walk to his room and place Cody in his crib.

“I mean, I kind of offered once I heard. But I was just so caught up in what could have been, I eventually realized it wasn’t going to work and we called it off. I went back to Jessa and broke up with her after she found out what I offered.” He said, removing his jacket and Cody’s chest carrier before beginning to put the groceries away. You set the gallons of milk and bag of batteries on the counter, glancing into the pantry when he opened it. There wasn’t much other than ramen noodles.

“After a few months I met Hayley. Hannah showed back up and begged me to help her raise her kid, but Hayley was pregnant and I could _not _leave her.” Adam said as he balled up the bags and tossed them in the cupboard under the sink.

“She was pissed. But I mean I had my own family,” Adam trailed off. “and then she left.” He said, staring at the floor. You had been listening quietly to his story.

“I was so stupid then.” He said softly. You took a step towards him, rubbing his bicep gently through his jacket. He looked down into your (e/c) eyes with tears pricking at his own. You leaned against his chest, wrapping his arms around his waist in a hug. He hugged you back and rested his chin on your head.

The two of you stood in the kitchen for what seemed like hours. You felt the need to comfort Adam, he’d been through so much. So much that somebody trying so hard like he was didn’t deserve to go through. Your phone buzzed and you finally pulled away as Adam cleared his throat. You checked your phone to see a text from Laura asking if you were alright.

“I should let you get going.” Adam said gently. You nodded silently, picking up the milk and the batteries.

“I should too, you’ve got work tomorrow.” You said, your voice matching his. It felt too intimate to talk normally, as if this required a gentle voice and soft words.

“Yeah, I’ve still got to find a sitter.” Adam said with a chuckle. You tilted your head.

“What time?” You asked him. He shrugged.

“Around 6:30 ish.” He said. You rolled your options over in your head before speaking.

“I could watch him, if you want.” You said. Adam lifted his head with a smile. Currently, you were the only other person he could completely trust around Cody. Since Hayley had left, he’d had trouble letting his son out of his sight longer than a few hours for a nap, but you, he would trust you with his life.

“You wouldn’t mind?” He asked. You shook your head with a grin.

“Not at all."


	6. Chapter 6

When you walked into your apartment with the milk and batteries you were met by the sight of Laura perched on the counter top with Basilisk wrapped around her neck, watching the door.

"And she returns." Laura said with a grin as Basil flicked his tongue towards you. You smiled back at her before putting the milk in the fridge and tossing her the batteries.

"Awesome! The batteries in the remote were just starting to go out." She said, rushing towards the TV.

"Y'know i was thinking we could finally fix the controllers and play some more Battlefront?" You suggested. You heard a delighted squeal from Laura before she groaned.

"No (y/n) we don't have time." She said with a dramatic pout. You sighed. She was right, you had work tomorrow and she had the early shift at the vet's office. Besides, you needed plenty of energy to watch Cody tomorrow.

"Why do you have to be right?" You asked, flopping dramatically onto the couch beside her and leaning against her. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaning back and stroking Basilisk as if he were an expensive fur ruff.

"Because I'm amazing darling that's why." She adopted a fake British accent and you giggled before standing from your spot on the couch and helping her up. Basilisk stuck his tongue out at you before turning to loop himself once more around Laura's neck

"C'mon, we should be going to bed." She said as she walked towards the hall that branched off into her room and yours. You followed behind her, pausing in her doorway as she gently untangled Basil and held him up to her face to make a kissy noise at him. She reached to place him in the tank when you spoke.

"Hey Laur," You said. She hummed in response. You missed your girl talks that the two of you used to have. "can I talk to you?" You asked. She immediately turned to look at you with concern painting her features.

"What's wrong?" She asked, walking towards you.

"Nothing, I just miss talking with you." You said. She smiled.

"Of course we can talk hun, go get your pajamas and we'll have a girls night. It's only eight." She held Basil up to her shoulders and he twined around her neck once more as she gently stroked his back. You smiled and walked to your room to change out of your work clothes at last and into pajamas. You walked into Laura's room to see her wearing a tank top and a pair of sweatpants with Kylo Ren's lightsaber on the top of the left thigh. Basilisk was draped lazily across her shoulders as she clicked away on her laptop.

You settled yourself on her bed next to her, pressing your side against hers, pulling the buffalo plaid blanket around your shoulders and bumping your nose against Basil's when he looked at you curiously. Laura pressed play and you watched Geralt of Rivia appear on the screen.

"The Witcher? Really? You didn't get enough of him in the game?" You teased. You knew Laura had a bit of a crush on Geralt.

"Hey shut up, be nice to me." Laura said, tossing a pillow at you and tugging at her blanket.

"Does Chris know about your hard on for Geralt?" You teased.

"Of course he does, he's got one for Geralt too." She said. You laughed and rested your head on her shoulder after making sure Basilisk wouldn't be crushed.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" She asked softly. You groaned.

"I don't know. Adam I guess?" You said. Laura immediately sat up and looked at you.

"Are you finally fucking him?" She asked quickly. You gave her a bewildered look.

"No?"

"Dammit, we thought the two of you would be fucking by now." She said. You blinked at her.

"What?"

"(y/n), honey, it is _so _obvious you like him. Like, you're worse than Chris and I were." She said before leaning over the edge of her bed and pulling out a plastic box filled with bags of chips and boxes of crackers. She pulled a bag of chips out and a few napkins and opened the bag before popping one in her mouth. Basil leaned out to scent the bag and dropped off Laura's shoulder. Laura sighed and picked him up, placing him back around her neck.

Obvious? How was it obvious? Did Adam know? Had he picked up on it? You felt heat rising in your cheeks as Laura held a chip in front of your mouth.

"Eat it and ask your questions." She said. You opened your mouth and crunched the chip before speaking.

"How obvious?" Was your first question. You hoped to God Adam didn't know how hard you'd fallen for him.

"Ok well obvious to me but I live with you," Laura looked at your face. "but I doubt Adam noticed. He's got Cody on him 24/7 that seems to be his main focus." She said before popping another chip in her mouth. You let out a breath.

"So, what about Adam did you want to talk about?" Laura asked, not really even paying attention to the show anymore.

"Well you apparently know I like him," You said with a chuckle. "i'm watching Cody tomorrow." You said. Laura gasped before coughing violently. Basil lifted his head and opened his mouth wide. You picked him up and gently pet him until Laura stopped coughing.

"He's letting you watch his kid?" She asked, turning to you with a red face and teary eyes. You chuckled and used your sleeve to dab at her cheeks.

"Yeah, he's got work at like 7 I guess, i'm going over at 6:30." You said to her. Laura wiggled her eyebrows in a joking way and you giggled, pushing her shoulder gently. She lay down on the bed, holding her arms out for Basil. You handed him back to her and she gently took him, kissing the top of his head as he wound around her hand.

You lay in silence with her for a few moments, watching her fawn over basil and listening to the Witcher in the background. You didn't want to go to sleep just yet, but you couldn't think of anything else to tell her.

"Laura, do you think I have a chance?" You asked, turning to look at her and rested your head against her shoulder.

"With what?" Laura asked in a high pitched baby voice as she stroked Basil's head.

"With Adam you dingus." You said with a laugh as you pushed on her stomach.

"Hey! Be gentle, I might be pregnant for all you know." She turned to look at you.

"Ew gross don't put that thought in my head while I'm laying on your bed. Basil, I'm sorry you've had to witness that." You said sarcastically, putting your face in front of Basil. He flicked his tongue out and Laura chuckled.

"I do think you have a chance. He seems to like you, I mean he's letting you watch Cody." Laura said with a yawn. You stretched and rolled over so your back was facing her, and she reached over to scratch between your shoulders.

"Laura we should go to bed." You mumbled as her hand slowly stopped moving to rest on your back. She let out a soft snore and you turned your head to see her lying on her back with Basil on her chest as she snored with Basil curled around himself, breathing slowly.

You smiled, slowly getting up and picked up Basil, placing him in the elaborate tank Laura had set up for him with his humidifier, plants, and his heat lamp. It was almost a miniature ecosystem in itself enclosed in a 100 gallon tank. Basil slithered into his enclosure, promptly curling himself under the heat lamp. You slid the door shut on the front of the enclosure before pausing the show on Laura's laptop and shutting the screen. You gently pushed Laura's shoulder until she woke with a snort.

"Chris no let me sleep." She mumbled and you chuckled.

"Not Chris, best friend (y/n)." You said. She groaned and opened her eyes.

"Bed, c'mon." You said, poking her again. She let out a huff.

"I was in bed." She argued, rolling off the bed and helping you put the snacks away.

"Yes but you can't sleep with a bag of chips and box of snacks on your bed. I'd be a bad roommate if I let you." You said. She waved you away after giving you a quick hug, and you ventured to your own room for the night.

* * *

The next morning Adam was in a frenzy. Every time he thought of or did _anything _relating to Cody, he left a note on a sticky note to tell you where and what it was. Where his diapers were, formula, his favorite toys, his best blanket, the mittens he hated, the clean bottles, the large blanket he used for Cody to crawl on, to make sure you watched Cody because he liked to try to crawl into the back half of the apartment which was Adams wood shop and he hadn't fixed the baby gates yet so they kind of just pushed open and, and, and...

Adam wrote another note and stuck it to the top of the gates when he walked past it.

It was 5:54, you said you were going to come half an hour early so Adam could show you where things were and how to do feedings and to only try a little bit of the baby food jars because he was only seven months but Adam still wasn't totally comfortable letting him eat solids in case he was allergic or it upset his stomach but Dr. Garcia said he should but, but, but...

He wrote another note and stuck it to the shelf the baby food was on. 

Then on second thought, he pushed all the jars to the back corner of the small pantry and put the box of minute rice in front of them. 

Then pulled the formula from the pantry and set it on the counter. Then shut the pantry door so he wouldn't have to think about it. He heard Cody babble happily and looked into the living room to see Cody standing and clinging onto the couch.

"Dada!" Cody called, reaching one hand towards Adam before falling back onto his butt on the blanket. Adam walked over to Cody with a smile, picking him up and snuggling him against his chest. Adam playfully blew a raspberry at Cody while touching his cheek to Cody's, and Cody let out a squeal and a giggle.

"You excited little man?" Adam asked Cody, pulling him away and holding him up to look at Cody. Cody smiled his toothless smile. Well, almost toothless. Adam furrowed his brows and sat on the couch, sitting Cody on his lap as he gently opened Cody's mouth with his pinky finger. Cody squirmed as Adam brushed his gum. His bottom incisors were just starting to poke through his gums.

"Oh god why today?" He wondered aloud. He felt _terrible _leaving (y/n) with a teething baby, he remembered how bad Caroline said Sample was when her teeth started coming in. She would constantly scream, cry, wouldn't eat, and could never be soothed. She had gone nearly insane and Adam had to come watch Sample for a few days while she went out.

Though, he remembered how easy it had been once he got there. He had held her and comforted her, talking quietly to Sample as she cried into his shirt. She had finally stopped crying and fallen asleep against Adam's chest after nearly an hour of him pacing the room. As long as he held her, Sample was fine. He had made a bottle of formula and she'd taken half of if before crying. He'd spent the rest of the night coaxing her to eat and comforting her when she refused to let go of his shirt.

Then the memory soured when he remembered shortly after that Caroline had walked out on Laird. What was it with women he knew and walking out on their babies? He shook his head and looked down to see Cody chewing on his own hand. Adam gently pulled Cody's hand from his mouth, using the hem of his shirt to wipe the drool from Cody's mouth and chin. Cody squealed and tried to pull his head away from Adam's touch. There was a knock on the door and Adam's head snapped up as he instinctively held Cody closer to his chest. He stood to open the door to see you on the other side.

"Hey Adam, I'm not too early am I?" You asked with a grin. He felt a smile he couldn't control cross his face as he looked at you, your perfect (e/c) eyes that complimented your (s/t) skin and (h/c) hair, the nervous way you shifted your weight between your feet and the way your smile sparkled.

"Not at all, come on in kid." He said, not able to stop himself before using the nickname on you. You took it in stride as you shrugged off your coat and set your purse on the couch where he'd just been sitting. You turned to face Adam, ready for him to tell you what to do when you noticed a sticky note on the diaper bag by the door. You raised an eyebrow as you looked around the apartment.

There were sticky notes on the doors, the knobs, toys on the counter, on the cupboard, the bottles of formula in the kitchen, the door to Adam's room, the bathroom, nearly everywhere.

"Trying out a new organization system?" You asked with a chuckle, reading one of the sticky notes on the front doorknob. It read _"I don't think Cody can reach this"_ and you chuckled. Adam's face turned red, the tips of his ears that poked through his hair turning red as well. You smiled and approached him, saying hi to Cody.

"So what do I need to know to watch this little guy hm?" You asked, making a funny face that caused Cody to giggle and squeal delightedly. Adam smiled a little bit, happy to just watch the two of you interact, but eventually cleared his throat and passed Cody off to you before walking you through the kitchen and explaining where everything was, how to make a bottle for Cody, and where the emergency numbers were listed. 

He walked through the rest of the apartment, pointing out potential hazards and making doubly sure you knew about the gates of the wood shop, and that Cody liked to throw his toys behind the large African blackwood bookshelf he'd made and then cry when he couldn't reach them. Adam said if that happened, don't worry about it he would get them when he got home because the bookshelf was heavy and even he could barely lift it. He didn't know why he mentioned that part, some part of him liked being strong for you but he didn't know why. He shook his head and led you towards his room, taking a deep breath before opening the door.

You'd be lying to yourself if you said you weren't curious about Adam's room. You knew your apartments were similar and two of the largest on the floor, and the rear half of the living room had been turned into Adam's wood shop. But you were surprised when he opened the door. You hadn't been expecting to see his mattress on the floor surrounded by stacks of acting magazines and screenplays. The blankets were bunched up like he'd just gotten up and the pillows were piled onto the other half of the bed. Across from the bed next to the radiator Cody's crib was nestled against the wall, with his changing table in the corner.

"Ok, his diapers are on that shelf under the changing table, and his clothes and blankets are, well, here." Adam said, stepping past you and walking towards the oak bookshelf between the two closets. He patted the middle shelf, the one at perfect chest height for him. He continued patting each shelf with Cody's things on it and explaining what each one was. Blankets, onesies, small outfits, diapers, nearly everything Adam could need during the night was stacked on the bookshelf.

The quality of the bookshelf, both this one and the one you'd seen in the living room, were amazing. You could tell Adam had put time and effort into making them both, and wondered why he didn't make woodworking his career. He could definitely make a pretty penny if all his work was up to this standard.

"Also, one more thing, I'm so sorry." Adan said, wincing slightly as Cody started fussing and chewing his own hand. You gently pulled his hand from his mouth and gave Cody a soft smile before tilting your head to Adam.

"He's teething." Adam said, waiting for an outburst.

"Aw poor man," You held Cody in front of you, "I'm sure that hurts little bud, I know growing is tough." You said, holding him close to your chest and patting his back.

"That's not a problem Adam, do you have any teething toys?" You asked. Adam looked lost and you chuckled.

"They're usually little rings with water inside them, they've got kind of a hard plastic?" You described the teething toys you'd used when babysitting before.

"Oh those things, We got a bunch when Hayley threw herself a baby shower." Adam said, opening one of the closets and digging through a bin at the bottom.

"Hayley didn't think they were cute enough for him to play with so, they just kind of got thrown in here." He said, emerging with a handful of teething toys in varying shapes and colors. You smiled, taking a fish shaped one and passing it to Cody. He took it and examined it before biting one of the fins at the back.

"I'll show you a trick Laura taught me." You said, taking some of the other teething toys from his hand and walking into the kitchen.

Adam watched you as you walked, admiring the way you moved, the way Cody seemed so comfortable with you, the way you supported his body perfectly and held him close to you. The way you talked to him, cuddled him, were there for him. He wouldn't mind waking up to you in his bed, caring for Cody. He wouldn't mind you curling yourself against his chest at night so he could hold you and protect you, welcome you into his little family.

He quickly shook his head when he realized you'd been calling him.

"You alright?" You asked with concern. Adam smiled and nodded.

"Yeah kid, yeah I'm good." He said. "So what trick did Laura teach you?" He asked. You grinned, opening the fridge and setting the teething toys on one of the shelves, placing one toy in the freezer.

"Sometimes having the toys cold helps, I don't know why but Laura's mom ran a daycare for eleven years with Laura's help and they both swear by this." You said with a smile as Cody continued chewing on the toy in his mouth.

Adam watched you as you watched Cody. He resisted the urge to step forward, hold both of you in his arms, pushed down that protective urge in him. It was there with Hayley, it's there with Cody, now it's there with you, and that scared him. He trusted you, he wanted you to be his. He wanted you to be part of his little family in his little corner of the world, tucked away in his small apartment in New York where he could keep it safe.

You looked up from Cody, seeing Adam looking at the two of you with a soft smile on his face. You felt a heat creeping into your cheeks as you looked back down to Cody, trying to suppress a smile. You didn't mind Adam looking at you like that. Actually, and you would never say it out loud, you liked it. You wanted him to look at you like that forever, wanted to fall asleep with him looking at you like that. You shook your head and glanced at the clock.

"Uh, Adam it's 6:45." You said. Adam quickly snapped himself out of his daze and looked at the clock frantically. 

"Shit!" He called, running to the front room and slipping his feet into his boots, bending over to tie the laces quickly.

"Adam, calm down it's alright." You said comfortingly. Adam let out a sigh as he finished tying the laces, standing up and digging around on the table by the door for his keys. You walked towards the table, reaching under a piece of paper and handing Adam his keys. He smiled and thanked you, before quickly rushing out the door after saying goodbye to Cody.

"Alright little bud, we're gonna have fun tonight yeah?" You asked, holding Cody up in front of you. He giggled, pulling the toy from his mouth and reaching towards you.

"Mm-a!" Cody said delightedly as you tilted your head.

"Mama!" Cody squealed, finally forming the word. You blinked, slightly taken aback. If you'd expected anything from Cody it was certainly not that. You didn't even know he could speak yet. 

You'd have to mention it to Adam when he got home.


	7. Chapter 7

Cody was quite possibly the most angelic baby you'd ever taken care of. Your nephew was a nightmare when he was this age and teething, but Cody happily played with his toys, chewed on his teething rings, and practiced standing using the couch to help him balance. You sat with him on the floor in the front room, a large blanket off the bookshelf spread under the two of you so Cody wouldn't pick up any dirt from the floor.

The blanket was a patchwork quilt, thick and heavy, stuffed with what felt like cotton with how lumpy it was. The patches seemed to be of many different materials. Some were scraps of old T-shirts, some were pieces of other blankets, there were some patches of denim and some from what looked like an old construction vest. The stitching was far from perfect, almost as if someone who didn't know how to work a sewing machine had made it, and the thread color changed throughout the quilt as if they were using whatever threat they had laying around.

But when you ran your hand over the fabric, it was soft. The denim and construction vest pieces were on the top, so the bottom was comfortable. It was warm, it was well made, and looked nearly brand new. You wondered who had made it, then figured it didn't matter. It was a quilt, and one Cody seemed to like.

You turned your attention to Cody, who had been quietly babbling to himself as he chewed on the ring toy and braced himself against the couch. He was only seven months old, but his dark hair kept falling in his face as he tried to balance. You chuckled, standing from the floor and scooping Cody up in your arms. He let out a squeal and a giggle as you gently held him on his back and tickled his tummy while you walked towards your purse on the front table.

"C'mon little man, I think I have a headband in here." You said, digging through your purse to find the small headband you'd bought for your sister to use on her son. She had yet to take him to get a haircut, and he was nearly two. So you bought him a few headbands to keep his hair out of his face when he played, but this one was orange and for some reason he hated orange.

You finally found the headband, gently sliding it onto Cody's head to hold his hair back. You chuckled as the short ends of his hair stuck up from under the headband, making it look like he had a lions mane. He blinked confusedly as he looked up at you, still holding the teething toy. You glanced at the clock. It had been awhile since Adam said he last fed Cody, so you made your way to the kitchen to make Cody a bottle. You rested Cody against your hip as you made the bottle before testing the temperature on the inside of your wrist.

"Alright buddy, lets eat hm?" You sat on the couch with Cody, holding him in your lap and offering him the bottle. He took it hungrily, holding it himself. You chuckled as he gulped it down hungrily. You gently tilted it down, worried he would make himself sick by drinking too quickly. 

When Cody was finished eating, you wandered to Adams room where Cody's things were. You grabbed a burp cloth, gently burping Cody before he fell asleep. You sat on the couch with him for a bit and removed the headband so he could sleep. You didn't want to put him down. He was an adorable baby. You could see Adam in his face. The way some of Cody's tiny moles matched up with Adam's, the way his black hair feathered around his ears and face, and his thick eyelashes. You glanced to the clock on the wall, then out the window. It was starting to get dark, and Cody would probably sleep for awhile.

You stood from the couch, walking into Adam's room and laying Cody in his crib, careful to make sure the sheets were tucked tightly onto the mattress before setting him in. Luckily for you Cody was already in a onesie so you didn't have to change him before bed. You walked back into the living room, cleaning up Cody's toys and making everything look neat. You picked up the quilt to fold it, running your hand over it one more time. One particular square caught your eye. It was red, with white stitching on it. The stitching was old and frayed, but it clearly spelled "Adam." You wondered where he'd gotten it. You sat yourself on the couch, draping the blanket over your legs as you examined the rest of the squares, wondering where each one came from before drifting off to sleep yourself.

* * *

Adam came home near one in the morning. The bouncer who he was sharing the night with had shown up a little late to his shift, meaning Adam was home later than he'd told you. He hoped you wouldn't be upset, he didn't ever want to upset you.

When he opened the door to his apartment he was met with the sight of a clean living room, something that had grown foreign to him. He looked to see you laying on the couch curled up under a familiar blanket. His breath caught in his throat when he recognized the quilt. He had forgotten he even had it. He never expected to see you under it, or even know about it. He walked to the back of his apartment, peeking into his bedroom to check on Cody. He was sleeping soundly on his back in the crib, breathing contentedly.

Adam returned to the front room, shrugging off his jacket and laying it across the back of the couch. He set his keys on the front table, kicking his boots off and setting them by the door. He slowly approached you, gently rubbing your shoulder in an attempt to wake you up.

"Hey (y/n)." He said calmly as you woke up. You took in a breath, lifting your head and stretching before looking at Adam.

"Hey Adam, sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep." You said, leaning over the couch to look down the hall to Adam's room.

"Don't worry about it, I checked on him already. Sleeping great." He said, sitting on the couch next to you. He ran his hand over the edge of the blanket, feeling the erratic stitching under his fingertips.

"Where did you get this?" You asked him curiously. Adam blew a breath out through his nose.

"I made it." He said softly. You tilted your head. Adam had made this? You couldn't see that from him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was a gift. For Hayley, for the baby shower. I uh, she wanted a gift from me. But I didn't have a lot of money, so I used some of my shirts that she liked and stuff." Adam picked at one of the loose threads.

"My Grandma taught me how to use a sewing machine and let me borrow hers, I was really damn proud of it too. I couldn't wait for us to be able to use it." Adam said with a chuckle.

"Hayley hated it. She said it was cheap and embarrassing, and that she'd never use it for anything." Adam stopped the blanket and took a deep breath. You sat up fully, leaning towards Adam and resting your hand on his shoulder.

"Well," You paused, before leaning into him completely and wrapping your arms around him.

"I think it's a very nice quilt." You finished. Adam was frozen for a moment before he leaned into you, pulling you closer to him and taking a deep breath, wishing he never had to let you go. He leaned back, looking down at you. You tilted your head up to look at him, both of you asking a question that you never spoke aloud. 

Adam glanced down to your lips before looking you in the eyes. His mouth parted slightly, almost like he was trying to find words to say. He lowered his head until your noses were just brushing. It would be so easy, so easy to lean forward and feel his lips on yours. You felt his large hand cover your own, gently rubbing his thumb over your wrist. You finally relented, reaching your hands up and placing them on either side of his face to pull him into you.

Your lips connected, and you swore you felt a shock run down your spine, out through all your limbs, down into your stomach as you finally felt his soft lips against your own. Adam gripped your waist, holding you close to him. You wrapped one arm around his shoulders to keep him close and moved the other hand to grip his hair. 

Adam pushed the quilt onto the floor, pulling you onto his lap so you were straddling him while your lips moved in sync. He ran his hands over your body, appreciating every curve of you. You squeezed your legs around him, pushing yourself down against his hips. He let out a groan, it had been so long since he'd been with anybody, had anybody touch him like this. He held you tight as he pulled away, lowering his head to kiss beneath your jaw and down your neck. You ran your hands through his hair, gripping it tightly when he gently nipped at your neck, testing your reaction. You could feel him growing harder in his pants under you.

"Adam," You let out a breathy moan as you ran one hand down his chest, using the other to pull his head back up to kiss him again. He seemed to know exactly what you wanted, and turned to lay you beneath him, supporting his weight on his forearms as the two of you continued to kiss. You felt his hair fall into your face before he began kissing his way down your body, pushing the hem of your shirt up and kissing gently on your stomach. You pulled your shirt off and dropped it on the floor to give him more access to your body.

Adam used one hand to lift you up just enough that he could slip his hand beneath you, undoing the clasp of your bra with one hand. He kissed between your breasts before kissing over each one, laving his tongue over each of your nipples gently. You arched your back into him, gripping his shoulders tightly. You sat up slightly, reaching for the bottom of his shirt. He sat up, pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it on the floor to join your bra and shirt.

Adam closed his lips around your nipple again as you ran your hands over his bare back, feeling the muscles rippling under his skin as he moved to worship your body. You appreciated the heat radiating off of him, keeping you warm in the otherwise cold room. You let our a gasp as he began teasing your other nipple with his free hand, holding his weight with one arm. He slowly worked his way down your body until he reached the top of your pants. He looked up at you questioningly, and you nodded. He began pulling your pants down your hips, kissing over every bit of skin exposed as he did so.

The two of you paused when you heard a cry from Adam's room. Adam froze, snapping his head up to look towards his bedroom. You let out a sigh as the cries continued. Adam let out a heavy sigh to match your own, lowering his head to rest it against your stomach. You ran your hand over his head, brushing his hair back. Adam pushed himself up so he was sitting back on his knees on the couch.

"i'm sorry." He said softly. You sat up, feeling the cold air hit your chest. You missed having him close to you already.

"Don't be sorry Adam, go get him." You said, swinging your legs off the side of the couch and grabbing your clothes. You slipped your bra on, struggling with the clasp behind you. Adam gently brushed your hands away, helping you clasp if before standing from the couch and walking towards his room. You slipped your shirt back on, looking up when you heard a soft babbling from Cody. You looked to see Adam holding him close against his bare chest. 

You stood from the couch, picking up Adams shirt off the floor and draping it over the arm of the couch. You walked towards him, leaning against him and planting a kiss on his broad chest. He wrapped his free arm around you, holding you against him as you rested your head against his chest. This is what he wanted, what he always wanted.

You pulled away from him, giving him a small smile. Adam felt his heart ache as you pulled away. He held Cody closer to him when you let go of him, trying to make up for the loss of contact with you. You picked up your purse from the table by the door, turning back to him.

"Do you need me to watch him tomorrow?" You asked quietly as you pulled your coat on. Adam swallowed and shook his head. Tomorrow was Sunday, Viggo was as he said, a churchgoing man, the club was closed Sundays. You nodded tight lipped, before opening the door, stepping out of Adam's apartment and shutting the door behind you. As you closed the door, you felt more exposed. You pulled your jacket tightly around you, walking towards your own apartment door.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is loves, finally the long awaited smut scene! I hope you enjoy it loves.

The next morning you woke up late. You couldn't get the feeling of his lips against yours off your mind. You couldn't stop thinking about how gentle he was, how he would have treated you, how he would have taken care of you. You wanted to go back, throw yourself into his arms, kiss him and feel him and be filled by him and be connected with him in the most intimate way you could.

You rolled over and let out a sigh, looking at the clock to see it read 9:08. You sat up, throwing your blankets off of you and pulled on a soft pair of sweatpants to wander into the kitchen, following the smell of bacon and waffles. You paused when you saw a tall figure with long hair and broad shoulders standing at the stove. You rubbed your eyes, squinting before recognizing it as Chris.

Your face fell. For a moment you had thought it was Adam. And though it didn't make sense, because you weren't in his apartment and he wasn't in yours, you had hoped it was him making breakfast for the two of you.

"Hey (y/n)." You heard a voice say. You turned to see Chris looking over his shoulder at you as he scrambled some eggs in a bowl. 

"Hey Chris. I didn't know you were here." You said, wandering to the counter and sliding onto it, watching as he cooked. 

"I thought Laura texted you? Sorry (y/n), I had to be out of my apartment yesterday and I haven't managed to find a new one." He said, pouring the eggs into a hot pan to result in a satisfying sizzling sound. 

"Hey no hard feelings, you're making breakfast. I can't be mad at someone who makes me breakfast." You teased as he used a fork to lift some of the bacon from a pan and onto a plate. He chuckled and smiled. You heard the floor creaking and looked to see Laura emerge from the hallway. Her hair was pulled up into a bun and she had an oversized T-shirt on with a pair of fuzzy pajama pants. She approached Chris, leaning against his back and waving to you tiredly.

"Hey (y/n)." She mumbled. Laura was not a morning person in any way shape or form, and you found it funny when you would watch her shuffle around the apartment like a zombie.

"Hey Laur." You said. You wanted to tell her about last night, about Adam, about how close you had been with him, but she wouldn't understand while she was still half asleep. You'd have to wait until after breakfast.

* * *

Adam woke up gradually, for the first time in a long time. Cody had been starting to sleep for longer periods of time, which Adam was grateful for, but he couldn't help worrying when Cody was quiet for too long. Adam rolled over, glancing at the clock, it was the afternoon. He sighed, standing up and walking to the bathroom. He opened the drawer, pulling out his toothbrush and toothpaste as he began brushing his teeth, thinking about last night.

He'd had to jerk himself off after you left. He felt like he would explode if he didn't have some form of relief from the ache in his balls. It had been too long since he'd touched somebody like that, since somebody had wanted to touch  _ him  _ like that. So he'd locked himself in the bathroom despite being the only one there who could work doorknobs and jerked himself off while thinking about how you would feel around his cock.

But then he was lonely. It wasn't enough that he'd come to the thought of how tight you would be around him, how your lips would feel on his neck while he came with you. He wanted more than that. He wanted you to be there with him afterwards. 

He wanted you to hold him, to let him lay with his head on your naked chest while you combed your fingers through his hair and rubbed his back. He wanted to wake up to you curled up against his chest while he held you and kept you safe, your nose tucked against his neck.

He wanted to make breakfast for you in the morning, he wanted to see you walk out of his room wearing his shirt. He wanted to see your sleepy face in the morning, he wanted to feel your breath against his chest while you slept with him, in his bed, where he could keep you safe.

Adam let out a sigh, spitting the toothpaste into the sink and rinsing his toothbrush before replacing it in the drawer. He leaned back against the wall in the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked at the bags under his eyes, how his hair was getting a little too long, how his stomach was a little bigger than it used to be. He stood from the wall, walking into his room. He pulled on a pair of jeans before approaching Cody's crib. It had been awhile since he'd last eaten, he was probably hungry. 

"Come on little man." Adam said as he lifted Cody from the crib. He changed Cody's diaper and clothes before holding his son against his bare chest. He walked to the kitchen to make a bottle for Cody, being sure to check the temperature before giving it to him. He was about to sit on the couch with Cody while he ate, when he heard a soft knock on the door. He shot to his feet, rushing towards the door, hoping it was you.

Adam opened the door with a smile on his face, holding Cody against his chest while his son drank down the formula hungrily. He was met with the face of somebody all too familiar. The light hair cut into a short bob, the sharp cheekbones and hard glare, the blue eyes, the same color of his son's.

"Adam." Hayley said, pushing past him into his apartment.

* * *

"You almost slept with him?!" Laura squealed as the two of you sat on her bed. It was now the evening, you had spent most of the day cleaning up around the apartment and mulling over what happened last night. Chris had left, he had a lab at the University he had to head, and you'd dragged Laura into her room to talk about what had happened last night while she painted your nails a soft shade of blue.

" _ Almost _ makes it sound like we were doing more than just making out." You said, blowing a strand of hair out of your face. Laura snorted.

"Yeah you were. You said he was about to go down on you." She said, painting another one of your nails.

"I mean, I think he was. He wasn't taking off his own pants, just mine so I mean..." You paused, nearly getting lost in the memory of it all when Laura gently squeezed your finger.

"Earth to (y/n), you almost slept with our neighbor. Our hot neighbor." Laura teased, releasing your hand and taking your other one. You began to blow on your nails to speed up the drying process.

"Our  _ very  _ hot neighbor." You clarified with a laugh. Laura chuckled.

"So are you going back over there?" She asked. You sighed, glancing towards her wall where she had hung her shelves with pictures of her, her family, she and Chris, and she and you.

"I want to, but what if he regrets it?" You wondered, biting your lip nervously. Laura took a deep breath, pausing a moment to think.

"Well, if he regrets it then he's crazy. But I don't think he does, it's not like you two were desperate teenagers trying for a quickie in the hallway. You said he was going slowly." She said, painting your thumbnail. You mulled it over. She was right, you were just worried. You knew this wasn't a normal romance. He had a child he had to think about. He had to be serious about his relationships because of Cody.

You examined your nails as they dried, waiting for Laura to finish painting your other hand. She finally finished, screwing the cap onto the nail polish before examining her handiwork.

"So are you going to talk to him?" Laura asked, resting her head flat on the bed and looking up at you. You fell back onto her bed with a sigh.

"Yeah, I've got to let my nails dry first though." You said with a laugh.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Adam hissed as he held Cody closer to his chest. Cody let out a small huff as Adam shifted him and bumped the bottle, which was almost empty. Hayley looked around the apartment, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the decor. She had never liked the way he decorated.

"I'm here for my baby." Hayley said, turning to face him. Adam realized she was holding a thin manila folder in her hands. He held Cody closer, gripping his onesie tightly.

"Your baby?" Adam seethed. Hayley's face remained hard. She held out the folder and Adam took it, shifting to hold Cody with one hand while he flipped the folder open. Inside was a very official looking document from the state stating he was to appear in court in two weeks to argue for custody of Cody. 

"What is this?" Adam asked, flipping through the paperwork in the folder. Hayley sighed in exasperation.

"It's a court summons, Adam." She said as if he were stupid.

"I know what it is Hayley, why is it in my fucking hand?" He snapped, dropping the folder on his front table.

"Because I never signed over parental rights, you have no legal right to keep him from me. I want him back Adam." She said, walking towards him and jabbing her finger into his chest.

"Don't touch me." Adam said harshly. Hayley rolled her eyes, reaching for Cody to see him. Cody, who had been watching her warily since he finished his bottle, let out a screech and waved his arms, rolling towards his father and pressing his face against Adam's chest.

"Oh come on, let mommy hold you." Hayley said without a shred of comfort in her voice. Cody let out a cry as Hayley tried to pull him towards her by his arm. Adam turned away from her, bringing Cody with him. 

"You may be his mother, but you'll never be his mom." Adam snarled at her angrily. Hayley straightened, huffing defensively.

"I'll see you in court." She said, stomping towards his door. She threw the door open, storming out and slamming it behind her. His neighbors below him banged on their ceiling and Adam let out a sigh. He set Cody down in the playpen with the toy he'd recently bought him, along with a few teething rings. Adam began pacing around his front room while considering his options.

He couldn't afford a lawyer, would he need one? He didn't know how custody cases worked in New York. How could he prove Hayley was unfit to be a mother? They usually sided with the mom in these situations. Adam felt himself begin panicking as he sat down on the couch. He felt like he had only been thinking for a few minutes, but when the knock on his door startled him from his thoughts it was dark outside. The knock had been much softer than when Hayley had knocked. He walked towards the door, opening it to see you standing sheepishly on the other side.

His heart thumped in his chest as you opened your mouth to speak. He reached out, pulling you against his chest and holding you tightly while he shut the door. You paused before wrapping your arms around his midsection. He pulled away, holding your head in his hands and capturing your lips in a desperate, hungry kiss. You kissed back, one hand reaching up to tangle in his hair the way you had last night. You pulled away for a breath, much to Adam's dismay.

"Adam I-" He cut you off.

"Please, please don't, just don't say anything. I need you, please I need you." He begged, looking into your eyes. There was something there you couldn't place. Yes there was the wanting, the need for somebody's skin against his own, but there was something else. Fear? You didn't know.

"I, ok." You said softly. Adam pulled you back towards him, kissing you again hungrily as he reached around to grab a handful of your ass through the pants you were wearing.

He pulled you close against him, his hips bucking against you involuntarily. You reached down, palming him through his jeans. He let out a deep groan, pulling back and burying his face in your neck while you pulled his hair and rubbed him through his pants. He was panting, his chest was red with heat. He straightened, kissing you again before reaching behind you and tapping the back of your legs. You picked up on what he wanted, jumping and wrapping your legs around his midsection as he carried you to his room.

"Where's Cody?" You asked as he kicked the door shut behind him and fell on his bed with you, holding his weight up above you.

"In his playpen in the living room, he'll be okay for awhile." Adam said, leaning down and kissing your neck, fumbling momentarily with the button down shirt you were wearing. You reached to help him when he let out a growl of frustration and ripped the shirt open, scattering buttons across the room.

"Adam!" You said with a giggle as you helped him remove your shirt. He took advantage of you sitting up to reach behind you and unclasp your bra. He flung your shirt and bra off the bed before tackling you down onto the bed and kissing his way from your neck down to your chest, kissing your breasts the way he had the night before.

"God you have gorgeous tits." He said, burying his face between them as he kissed his way down your body. You blushed as you brushed his hair back out of his face. He reached your pant-line, looking up at you the way he had last night. You reached down yourself, pushing your leggings and panties down.

Adam let out a breath when he came face to face with your cunt. He pulled your pants down the rest of the way, laying on his belly between your legs. He lifted your thighs to rest your legs over his shoulders, kissing his way up the inside of your thighs until he reached your pussy. He looked up at you to gauge your reaction. You reached down between your legs, holding his hair away from his face for him and nodding to him.

Adam leaned forward, giving your pussy an experimental lick before letting out a groan and continuing to use his mouth to pleasure you. You moaned and dropped your head back onto the pillows. Adam found your clit, using his tongue to trace shapes across it to test your reaction to each. As he moved his tongue you tightened your grip on his hair.

He continued to lick and suck your clit, tracing one finger down your slit. You felt your pussy clenching around empty space, desperate to be filled. You dug your heels into his back, trying to pull him closer to you, hoping he would understand what you wanted.

Adam had experience, he knew what you wanted, knew just how to get you there, how to push you over the edge, but he wanted more. He wanted to prepare you, he wanted to fuck you hard, and that would take time.

He gave your clit one hard suck while pushing two fingers inside of you. You let out a gasp, arcing your back as your legs came together for a moment. He used his free hand to push one of your legs down. Adam pulled away with a laugh and looked up at you, his chin glistening with the wetness from your pussy.

"I can't make you cum if you smother me." He said with a smile. You whined at the loss of contact on your clit. He chuckled and lowered his head, continuing to roll your clit with his tongue as he fucked you open with his fingers. He went in and out, rubbing against your walls and feeling for the spot that would drive you crazy.

He found it, and you felt a shock wave roll through your body. He added another finger, curling them to hit that spot again and you felt your muscles clench. It felt so good, his tongue and his fingers felt so right on your cunt. You felt him pull away, pulling his fingers from your dripping pussy and wiping them on his jeans as he stood and began pushing his jeans down his hips.

"Adam please," You begged, reaching a hand down and rubbing circles on your own clit. Adam grabbed your wrists, holding both of them in one hand while he kicked his jeans off.

"Only I get to make you cum." He growled. That voice just turned you on even more, and you squeezed your thighs together in hopes that you could get something, any sensation on your clit. Adam reached over you, digging in his nightstand for something. He pulled out a box of condoms, struggling to open them one handed before huffing with frustration.

He released your hands with a pointed glare, using both hands to open the box and pull one of the condoms out. He used his teeth to open the packaging before rolling it down on his cock, pumping himself a few times to make sure he was fully hard. 

"Adam please," You begged, running your hands down his chest. Adam smirked, lowering himself over you and lining his cock up with your pussy, rubbing the tip through your folds.

"Adam please, I need you." You whispered, trying to pull him against you. He bucked his hips forward, sliding just the tip of his cock inside of you. You gasped, lifting your legs and wrapping them around his hips to pull him closer.

"Easy baby," Adam said with a groan as he tried to keep control of himself. He was so used to being rough, to fucking hard and only trying to make himself feel good, but he didn't want to be that way with you.

With you, he wanted to put you first. He wanted to take care of you, make you feel good, please you. He wanted to make you want to stay with him, want to be with him. He wanted you to be with him always, he only wanted you. And as he thrusted so he was finally fully inside of you, he realized how perfect it felt. How perfect you were, in every way.

You were beautiful yes, you made him feel so good with the way your pussy milked his cock, the way it tightened and fluttered around him when he reached down to rub circles on your clit with his thumb.

But you were also beautiful inside. You were smart, you were caring, you were compassionate, and amazing, and he swore he loved you. He loved you with all of him, he didn't ever want to let you go.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when you dug your nails into his back as he gave a particularly rough thrust. You let out a gasp, holding him closer against your chest.

"Sorry," He grunted, trying to be more gentle as he kissed up and down your neck, sucking deep marks onto your shoulders. You laid your head back, burying one hand in his hair and tugging on it lightly.

"No, don't be sorry, more, please." You begged him. He pulled back slightly to look at your face, the way you had your eyes closed in bliss as he rocked his hips against yours.

"Are you sure?" He asked, sitting up on his knees slightly. You gripped his bicep tightly, nodding furiously. Adam let out a breath as he gripped your hips, sitting up on his knees and snapping his hips harshly against yours. Your eyes flew open as your jaw dropped. Adam groaned as your pussy clenched around his cock before he started fucking you harder.

"Oh  _ fuck _ , you feel so good around my cock." Adam said, using one hand to pin your hips to the bed and the other to rub circles on your clit at an increasing speed. You moaned, digging your fingers into his hard bicep as he continued his relentless pace.

"Adam, Adam please I'm close," You begged. Adam gave a few more hard thrusts and suddenly you were cumming hard on his cock, squeezing your legs around Adam's waist to pull him closer, hold him deeper as he fucked you through your orgasm. Adam bent over you, holding himself up above you. You clung to him, feeling your pussy squeezing around his cock.

"Fuck, fuck I'm going to cum," Adam said, burying his face in your neck. You pulled his hair away from his face, kissing his neck and leaving a few light hickeys on his neck.

"I want to feel you cum." You whispered in his ear.

Adam let out a deep moan, his hips stuttering and pausing as he came hard. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had an orgasm so strong. He wrapped his arms around you, holding you against his chest as he tried to push his cock deeper into your pussy. You could feel his cock twitching as he came.

You held Adam close, running your fingers through his hair as he rested his weight on you, panting heavily as he recovered from his orgasm. You rubbed his back, planting a soft kiss to his temple. He pushed himself up, resting his weight on his forearms. His hair fell over his face, the ends of it tickling your nose as you smiled at him. He returned the smile, rolling off of you and falling onto the empty side of the bed.

You let out a sigh, scooting towards Adam and leaning your head against him experimentally. He put his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to him. You smiled, laying your head on his chest as you wrapped your arm over his stomach, throwing one leg over his hips.

Adam let out a soft sigh, tilting his head so his cheek was resting against the top of your head. He reveled in the feeling of your hand on his stomach, your head on his chest and the way your hair tickled his neck. He looked down at you, wishing this moment could never end. He wanted you to stay here with him forever. He wanted to tell you how much you meant to him. 

Instead he let out a grumble as he sat up and climbed out of bed, saying "I need to get this fucking condom off." You stretched, leaning over the side of the bed to grab your panties and slide them on. You decided to forgo the bra. It was too much effort. You lifted your ruined shirt, dropping it back on the floor. 

You picked up the T-shirt you'd pulled off of Adam last night, slipping it on over your head. It was big on you, the bottom hem reached to your mid-thighs and the sleeves that barely covered Adam's shoulders reached nearly to your elbows. You heard Cody cry from the living room, and heard Adam swear from the bathroom.

"I've got him!" You called as you climbed off the bed and wandered to the living room. You spotted Cody in his playpen, waving his arms and crying. You walked towards the playpen, lifting him out with a smile.

"Hey buddy, how are you?" You asked Cody as you held him against your chest. You walked to Adam's room, setting Cody on the changing table and making a silly face. Cody giggled as you changed his diaper. You felt a pair of eyes on your back and glanced over your shoulder to see Adam watching you with a grin on his face and a bottle in his hand. He'd put on a pair of boxers, and was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

You felt a blush spreading across your cheeks and turned your attention back to Cody as you redressed him and held him against your chest. Cody leaned into you and gripped the shirt you were wearing. 

"Mma, mama." Cody said softly. You turned back to Adam, trying to read his reaction. He didn't say anything, just looked at you and Cody.

Adam took a step towards his bed, laying down and gesturing for you to join him. You sat next to him and handed over Cody. Adam took Cody, laying him on his chest and handing him the bottle before giving you room to curl up against his side.

"Dada!" Cody cried happily. Adam looked down at his son with a smile, before turning to you. You were so beautiful. He could lie here with you and Cody forever, his little family.

His little family that was being torn apart. He took a deep shaky breath, pressing his lips against your forehead and squeezing his eyes shut. Now wasn't the time to think about that, not when he had everything he wanted right here with him.

But it wasn't everything he wanted. It was about to be taken away. Adam felt the tears falling from his eyes. You pulled away from him, looking up at him and resting your hand on his cheek, brushing his hair back.

"Hey, Adam what's wrong?" You asked softly. He took another breath, opening his eyes to see you looking at him with concern. He realized you did care, and that meant a lot to him.

"She, Hayley came back." Adam said, trying to fight back tears. Your face fell and you curled yourself closer against him. You kissed his chest softly, tracing shapes on it with the tip of your finger.

"She's," He sighed, "she's taking me to court to get custody of Cody." Adam said. You let out a compassionate "oh" before looking up to his face, placing a hand on the back of his head and pulling him down to kiss you softly. You both stopped, resting your foreheads together. 

"Please stay." Adam said softly. You tilted your head, confused, before he clarified.

"Stay with me tonight?" He asked, looking at you hopefully. You nodded, kissing his shoulder.

"I'll stay Adam."


End file.
